Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum has taken the leap from all star to superstar in the span of just a few weeks. He went from being a 20 point threat every game, to a 30 point threat every game. A huge leap to take mid-season at 21/22 years old.
He has scored 30+ points in five of his last six games. The one he didn’t score 30 in, he had 28. These numbers helped him secure the player of the month award for February in the Eastern conference.
This step that Tatum has taken is not something to scoff at. Very few players can take a leap like this mid-season. His scoring has become noticeably better. Earlier in the season, Tatum would lose his dribble when he tried to drive to hoop and he was missing easy layups often. Since a game against the Clippers right before the all-star break, he has somehow fixed these things that were holding him back.
Tatum has added some better handles to his arsenal as well. He has become a lethal three point shooter, especially since he mastered his side-step/step-back shot. It seems every time he pulls out that move, the shot falls without fail.
Now you can’t mention Tatum without talking about his defense this season. He has been playing at an elite level on both sides of the ball. He has been getting into passing lanes using his length. He uses that length to block shots now too, not to mention he usually has to guard the opposing teams best scorer.
Tatum just turned 22 and could be playing himself into an All-NBA player. He took himself from a border line all-star last season, to an all-star this season. And then he even improved again, looking for an All-NBA selection at the end of the season.
