When Tatum was drafted at third overall after the Celtics traded down for him and opted him over Markelle Fultz, there was much scrutiny from both fans and critics. There were many red flags attached to him as a player, specifically on his defense. Even with all of those question marks that came with his game, people knew that it would take a few years for Tatum to even become an impactful player on this Celtics team.
Five minutes into the season opener, Tatum’s role immediately increased as Gordon Hayward went down for the season. To think, his role is still getting larger 23 games in. Rightfully so, we all pretty much threw the season out of the window when Hayward’s ankle fell off of his leg, knowing how young and inexperienced this brand new team is. Who in one million years could have ever imagined that this group of unattended children would have a 19-4 record? Well, here we are.
Also, who in one million years could have ever imagined that Tatum would be playing like a seasoned veteran 23 games in? He’s logging heavy minutes night in and night out as a nineteen-year-old and is already a go-to man on the Celtics. He’s averaging 13.7 PPG, shooting nearly 50 percent from the field and is playing 30.6 minutes a game. To think, he’s even expanded his range and bettered his three-point game only a fourth of the way into the season, as well.
The kid is ranked in the top ten for defensive rating across the NBA (!). Fellow rookie Ben Simmons barely cracks the top fifty and Tatum is ahead of two of the better perimeter defenders in the NBA in teammates Jaylen Brown and Marcus Smart. Tatum certainly isn’t an elite defender or even a defensive stopper; yet, at least, but he’s played a major role in Boston’s defensive success thus far.
Tatum is playing even better than he ever did in his four years at Duke, mainly because he was misused and a miscast under Coach K in college. Under Brad Stevens, however, he’s playing at a high level at both ends of the court. At Duke, he almost only played the 4. In Boston, they’ve given him the chance to play at the 2, 3 AND 4 in certain offensive and/or defensive situations and scenarios. He can play in so many different spots successfully because he’s a smart player and has elite hands and the Celtics almost always put him in spots that he will thrive in.
On defense, Brown and Smart always get the more difficult defensive assignments and typically get their job done. Tatum will defend whoever is left over no matter the position, which is incredible for a rookie. This is a completely different role than he was accustomed to at Duke and it is for the better. He gives the lineup much flexibility on defense standing at 6-foot-8 with his Kevin McHale-esque 6-foot-11 wingspan. He can switch screens and guard any position at a level that many NBA vets still dream of doing so at to this day. He isn’t an elite defender but he has the smarts and talent to close out on any and all shooters.
His offensive role in the NBA compared to his in college is equally as different as it is on defense, again, for the better. He already has a higher field goal and 3-point percentage in Boston than he did at Duke. The defense almost always rotates when he has the ball, which is a true joy to watch. Not to mention, he stays out of the way on offense, even sometimes when he shouldn’t be. The Celtics give him the ball on the move quite frequently, running him off screens and dribble handoffs. In college, he usually ran the ball into the floor. I believe that he was used sparingly in college because he was the tallest guy on the team year in and year out and it was difficult for Duke to properly involve him. Enter the Brad Stevens system.
Leading up to the draft, the constant comparison for Tatum was Carmelo Anthony. Here we are at the start of December and Tatum is playing better defense at nineteen than Melo ever has; probably because of the different systems and the effort factor, but nonetheless, it makes you think.
Tatum was on the NBA radar for five years entering the system at age 14 and has quickly defied all odds. Any question marks that we had a few months ago have been long forgotten about as he’s gone above and beyond on and off the court to lead this Celtics team to early success. His physical talent may need some work but he’s one of the smartest players in the league already and is only going to continue to improve as his role expands with each game.
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