Boston Celtics: Has Jayson Tatum hit the rookie wall?
Jayson Tatum started the season off looking really good, but was it sustainable? At this point, he looks a little out of sync may be hitting the rookie wall.
There was no denying that Jayson Tatum had a lot of talent and that was apparent when the Boston Celtics felt comfortable enough to trade down from the No. 1 pick of the 2017 NBA Draft and get him with the third overall pick. That’s a lot of faith from one of the best organizations built in the NBA.
He has not disappointed this season, posting pretty good numbers for a rookie: 13.5 points, 5.1 rebounds, 1.4 assists, 0.9 steals and 0.8 blocks per game while shooting 47.5 percent from the field and 42.7 percent from 3-point range.
At times Tatum has not looked like a rookie, making smooth shots and creative dribbles to get to the rim. It’s expected that every rookie goes through a rough patch in his first year and it looks as if he may be hitting his as of late.
Over the past two months Tatum has seen a drop in his production:
- January: 11.7 PPG, 5.2 RPG, 1.3 APG, 0.9 BPG, 0.8 SPG, 41.9 FG%, 34.1 3P%
- February: 13.3 PPG, 2.6 RPG, 1.9 APG, 1.0 SPG, 0.6 BPG, 41.9 FG%, 31.3 3P%
His point production hasn’t necessarily dropped to where you’re concerned, but he’s taking more shots. In the first three months he shot an average of 9.1, 9.3 and 9.2 times per game. However, the last two months he has shot the ball an average of 11.3 and 12.3 times per game.
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It’s good to see the rookie taking more shots and being agressive, but because of that, he’s seen his efficiency drop. His rebounding has dropped significantly as well this month, but it shouldn’t be anything more than just a rough patch. Just viewing things stats-wise, it appears that his numbers have stayed consistent other than his shooting and rebounding.
Maybe the reason he has struggled lately is because he’s not used to the longer schedule. College basketball seasons are less than half of a regular NBA season. We’ve heard players talk about how the NBA playing more games than a college season has impacted their play. Fatigue may be affecting his play this season because of this major change.
So, will we see a different player after being able to get an extended period of rest for the All-Star break? Maybe, only time will tell.
I will say that I personally was a little shocked as to how well he has excelled this season. I watched him at Duke and never expected this level of play this early in his career. He was certainly capable of doing this because he’s so talented, but seeing it this early is a shock. He was arguably the most NBA-ready player in the draft, so that helps as well. But nothing from his one year at Duke really jumps out at you as if he was going to be this good, this fast.
| Season | G | GS | MP | FG | FGA | FG% | 3P | 3PA | 3P% | TRB | AST | STL | BLK | PTS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016-17 | 29 | 27 | 33.3 | 5.7 | 12.6 | .452 | 1.4 | 4.0 | .342 | 7.3 | 2.1 | 1.3 | 1.1 | 16.8 |
| Career | 29 | 27 | 33.3 | 5.7 | 12.6 | .452 | 1.4 | 4.0 | .342 | 7.3 | 2.1 | 1.3 | 1.1 | 16.8 |
Provided by CBB at Sports Reference: View Original Table
Generated 2/20/2018.
He was a great player at Duke and had the full potential to be a great player. Kudos to him for figuring out the game this fast and easily, because it’s not an easy task.
Next: 2017-18 Week 19 NBA Power Rankings
Let’s hope one of the best young stars in this game can get right back on track after hitting the dreaded rookie wall.