There are big expectations for the Boston Celtics this season. They’re poised for another deep postseason run, and still on the prowl for a coveted 18th banner. As is often the case in the NBA, it becomes the responsibility of a team’s best player to make good on lofty predictions. For the Celtics, that person is Jayson Tatum.
Tatum is already one of the league’s most accomplished young players and bonafide stars. He earned All-NBA First Team honors last year while proving a clutch performer in the postseason. In fact, it may have been Tatum’s ankle injury in the early moments of Game 7 in the Eastern Conference Finals that cost the Celtics a shot at a title.
Buy Celtics TicketsThat said, the former Duke Blue Devil is still just 25 years old, and there’s plenty he can do to improve further as a player. With the 2023-24 regular season around the corner, where can we expect Tatum to improve his game?
Here are three goals for Tatum ahead of the next season:
Here are three goals for Jaylen Brown ahead of the Boston Celtics new season. https://t.co/GFAMRfd81n
— The Celtics Wire (@TheCelticsWire) September 17, 2023
Become more comfortable as a playmaker
Last season Marcus Smart led the Celtics in assists and served as the team’s primary playmaker and starting point guard. With Smart now in Memphis, Derrick White is the presumptive replacement at the top of the offense, but realistically head coach Joe Mazzulla will expect his entire team to shoulder the playmaking load.
As Boston’s most dynamic scoring threat, however, Tatum will be the center of the opposing defense’s attention on almost every play. Even with fellow All-NBA forward Jaylen Brown at his side, Tatum creates a certain amount of gravity on offense.
We know Tatum can score with the best of them. But last season he averaged 4.6 assists per game. If that number improves, it will likely be evidence that Boston’s offense is reaching its full potential and Tatum is reaching his as the centerpiece of an elite scoring unit.
We used NBA 2K24 to simulate the entire 2023-24 season for the Boston Celtics. The results were intriguing. https://t.co/1HNvpepskT
— The Celtics Wire (@TheCelticsWire) September 19, 2023
Open up the left side of the floor
By sharing the ball a bit more and looking to set up his teammates, Tatum will help ensure Boston’s offense is humming. But that doesn’t mean he won’t shoulder a disproportionate load scoring the ball. He could take steps to maximize this part of his game by utilizing more of the floor.
Last season Tatum was noticeably worse on the left side of the court. He shot plenty of 3s in that area but connected at a lower clip. Mid-range shots and shots at the rim from the left side of the floor weren’t a big part of his diet.
For Tatum to really be an unstoppable offensive force, he needs to be effective in as many spots as possible. Finding ways to get going on the left side of the floor will make him that much more potent, and will change the geography of the court for the rest of his teammates, too.
Boston’s Jayson Tatum does quite well in this assessment. https://t.co/rl4mvdEkvm
— The Celtics Wire (@TheCelticsWire) September 18, 2023
Stay the course
Tatum aspires to be one of the greats. At times he may play coy, but in other moments it’s clear he is a student of basketball history and wishes to rank among the very best to play the game. Will Tatum eventually carve out a spot among Celtics’ all-time greats? Only time will tell.
Tatum is still young, and only just entering his prime. He has elements of his game he can address, and likely will. But few are anointed to greatness when they’re in their mid-twenties. Instead, greatness comes to those who wait and build their resume piece by piece.
For now, Tatum needs to continue to stay focused on the task at hand. Small improvements to his game will raise the ceiling for his Celtics and better the odds the next season will be a successful one for Boston.
“It was one of my favorite experiences,” explained Muscala. https://t.co/dhcfcni3VJ
— The Celtics Wire (@TheCelticsWire) September 18, 2023
Listen to the “Celtics Lab” podcast on:
Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3zBKQY6
Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3GfUPFi
YouTube: https://bit.ly/3F9DvjQ
