Eric Hartline-USA TODAY Sports
Al Horford Discusses Jayson Tatum's Ability to Stay Locked in Even When He's Struggling
Jayson Tatum won't win the MVP this season, but he should finish in the top five in the race for the NBA's ultimate individual accolade. The four-time All-Star's led the Celtics to a 52-24 record, the second-best in the Association.
Tatum's generating 30.1 points, 8.9 rebounds, and 4.7 assists per game. Those would each represent career highs for him. He's also swiping a steal per contest.
His 2,106 points are the most in the NBA. A part of that is his career-best 8.4 free-throw attempts per game, which he's converting at an 85.4 percent clip.
He's also become a more dynamic offensive player, making an impact as a screener, often leading to high-quality scoring chances for himself and his teammates. And he's become better than ever from the low post, even when he catches the ball further out from the block.
Tatum's durability has also played a critical factor in leading the league in total points and his team's success. This year's All-Star Game MVP has suited up for 70 of Boston's 76 games. He's second in minutes per contest (37.3) and fourth in total minutes (2731).
Former director of performance for the Warriors, Keke Lyles, spoke with Inside the Celtics about Tatum's durability and increasing capacity in a conversation that included whether Robert Williams needs to change his movement patterns to help him stay in the lineup, among other tops like Lyles' perspective on load management.
While Tatum's an iron man, he's also dealing with a left hip contusion, which stems from a hard fall after meeting Rudy Gobert at the rim.
Post-game, on the heels of a 104-102 win over the Timberwolves, Tatum said of how his hip was doing, "pretty sore. Nothing crazy, but just got to monitor it, keep icing it, things like that."
He's also dealing with injuries to his left wrist and a few fingers on that non-shooting hand, which gets heavily taped on game day.
While the former Duke Blue Devil's producing 28.1 points per game since the All-Star break, he's also shooting 29.4 percent from beyond the arc on 9.5 attempts, per NBA.com.
Tatum's ability to soldier through shooting slumps like the one he's currently experiencing from three-point range is something Al Horford expressed admiration for in a conversation with J.J. Redick and Tommy Alter on The Old Man & the Three podcast.
"It's impressive; he's mature beyond his years. His demeanor does not change. He stays the same way. He's putting in the work every day like he needs to. He's taking care of his body. He's doing everything he has to do to prepare. And he's as consistent as they come. And to me, that's impressive.
"Earlier in my career, when I was younger, you go through a stretch, and you get to feeling down on yourself, and maybe you don't want to do everything you've been doing leading up to, and you're trying to figure things out, and he's not like that. He stays locked in. He wants to play every game if he possibly can, and he's all about just continuing to work. He's working. He's trying to figure things out, and he's figuring it out on the fly, so it's pretty impressive to see how he handles himself."
Further Reading
Celtics Starter Included on Injury Report Ahead of Showdown vs. Bucks
Jayson Tatum Reacts to Celtics Potentially Letting Hope for the 1 Seed Slip in Loss vs. Wizards
Here's What Stood Out in Celtics' Loss vs. Wizards: Cold Shooting Dooms Boston in Costly Defeat
