Beyond the scoring: Tatum opens up about ‘do-everything’ role for C’s originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston
If you go back and read Jayson Tatum’s scouting reports coming out of Duke in 2017, you’ll find plenty about his scoring ability. You’ll find decidedly less about his other attributes — particularly his playmaking ability.
“He wasn’t the most willing passer on the team this week by any stretch, really looking for his own offense almost exclusively at times,” one scouting report read.
Fast forward to the 2024 postseason, where Tatum is leading the Celtics in points (26.0), rebounds (10.4) and assists (5.9) per game as Boston’s do-it-all superstar.
While Tatum has steadily improved the other aspects of his game over seven NBA seasons, he’s made a conscious effort in 2023-24 to make an impact beyond the scoring department. In an exclusive interview with NBC Sports Boston’s Brian Scalabrine at NBA Finals Media Day, Tatum opened up about how he’s evolved the other aspects of his game with the singular focus of helping the Celtics raise Banner 18.
“Most importantly, my job on this team is to essentially do everything,” Tatum told Scalabrine. “And that gives us the best chance to win. So not always being put in a box of just being a scorer.”
“… People want to see me score 35 every night, but there’s just so much more to the game of basketball and so much more that I bring to the table.”
So, what has Tatum brought to the table this season? Here’s what he told Scalabrine about improving his defense, rebounding and passing ahead of Game 1 of the NBA Finals, which tips off Thursday night at 8:30 p.m. ET.
Defensive evolution
On a roster that includes All-Defensive guards Jrue Holiday and Derrick White and an All-Defense snub in wing Jaylen Brown, Tatum doesn’t often get praised for his work on the defensive end. The 26-year-old admitted that has fueled him this season to become an even better defender.
“We’ve got Jrue, we’ve got JB and D White, and not wanting to be like the weak link out there,” Tatum said. “… Now I love the challenge, whether I have to guard the five man or if it’s fourth quarter and I need to…
Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/beyond-scoring-tatum-opens-everything-153309027.html
Author : NBC Sports Boston
Publish date : 2024-06-06 15:33:09
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