Jayson Tatum is a superstar. His beard is filling in and he is no longer a player who could be this or could be that, he is here. It happened over night, he is no longer a player with just great potential, he is a superstar right now. Tatum is coming off his most impressive month as a pro, putting up over 30 points, 8 rebounds, and 3 assists a night. He did so while shooting 49% from the field and 48% from 3, earning his first player of the month award. Statistics aside, he is now operating as the de facto number 1 for the Celtics and thriving in doing so. But guys put up huge numbers all the time what’s the big deal you may ask? Tatum is not having a good stats bad team season which is truly setting him aside from other young guys like Devin Booker or Trae Young. The Celtics are a serious threat to win the East as they sit at 3rd in the standings. Last year and to an extent at the beginning of this year, the Celtics were lacking an identity to a degree, guys did not know their place in the offense and their status on the hierarchy. That has come to an end as guys like Jaylen Brown are coming to a realization that Tatum is that dude and adjusting to their roles. Brown is excelling himself and he and Tatum are one of the league’s best defensive wing tandems to go along with their offensive prowess. Jayson Tatum is not afraid of the moment, in case you needed a reminder this is the same guy who at 20 years old went head to head with Lebron James in game 7 of the Eastern conference finals.
Two years later and that dude is one of the best players in the NBA. That is a guy I want on my team when it is all on the line, fearless. He went at Lebron and the best team in the West this past month putting up 41 points while drawing double teams constantly throughout the night.
Tatum has superstar written all over him and could legitimately average 30 a game for the next 10 years. With the East wide open this year, Tatum has the capability of being the best player in any given series and makes the rest of the NBA have to take the Celtics seriously for years to come.
— John Robbins
The Pineapple Couch 