After not playing most of last season due to his recovery from an Achilles tear, Jayson Tatum will look to regain his pre-injury form this year with the Boston Celtics.
He looked a lot better than anticipated when he returned in March, looking closer to his normal self than expected. His athleticism was there, he looked smooth when operating off the dribble, and he was still stout defensively.
With Jaylen Brown on the Sixers and Paul George set to take his place, Tatum is now the unquestioned number one option on the Celtics. And that is a scary thought for the rest of the league.
Jayson Tatum is set to be unleashed this year
The debates involving whether or not Tatum or Brown was Boston’s best player never ended throughout their time together. That noise only got louder as Tatum missed most of the season and Brown guided the Celtics to the second seed in the East.Â
However, when you look at Tatum’s numbers without Brown, it shows that he was being held back a bit offensively, which is crazy to say given the fact that Tatum was a consistent All-NBA performer.
In 102 career games without Brown, Tatum has averaged 26 points per game, eight rebounds, and four assists. When he has a usage rate of 35 percent or higher, he averages an absurd 34 PPG, nine rebounds, and four assists. He also has a 61 percent true-shooting percentage in those games.
Why are those numbers relevant? Well, Tatum will be the unquestioned number one option this season and he won’t have a true robin like Brown. That role will likely be filled by a committee that includes Payton Pritchard, Paul George, and Derrick White.Â
This is not to say Brown held Tatum back. When you have two really good players, you want to keep them both equally involved. The duo showed good synergy together and they did win a championship after all.Â
But now we get to see Tatum reach his full potential as the focal point of an offense. Yes, he is only one year removed from a devastating injury, but he’s had a healthy offseason, and has had time to get back to full strength.Â
This is a guy that was first team All-NBA four years in a row before he got hurt and one of the best players in the sport. With this role, he will have a great chance at an MVP and could surprise the league this year.
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