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Last season, Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum was expected by many to take a big leap. Instead, he ended up being one of the more disappointing players in the NBA during the 2018-19 campaign.
He wasn't bad by any means, but he showed little to no progression from his rookie campaign, and some of the shine he began to develop during his incredible 2018 playoff run began to wear off.
Fast-forward to the 2019-20 season, and Tatum has gotten his shine on again. Big time.
The 21-year-old has taken his game to another level and is averaging 22.2 points, 6.9 rebounds, 2.9 assists and 1.3 steals over 33.9 minutes per game while shooting 44.1 percent from the floor, 38.7 percent from 3-point range and 83.5 percent from the free-throw line.
As a result, Tatum has been named an All-Star for the first time in his career, and the Celtics, who were floating at the top of a bowl around this same time last year, are 37-15.
Oh, and get this: Tatum has a ridiculous plus-12.9 net rating. That is insane.
In the month of February in particular, Tatum has been on a tear, as he has registered 28.8 points, 6.6 boards and 3.8 assists across 35.0 minutes a night while making 47.5 percent of his field goal attempts, 53.3 percent of his long-distance tries and 80.0 percent of his foul shots, right in time for a seven-game winning streak by Boston.
So, what has been so different about Jayson Tatum this year?
Well, for one, he has more freedom. The Celtics no longer have a toxic locker room, and it seems pretty clear that Tatum feels much looser with Kemba Walker rather than Kyrie Irving at point guard.
Not only that, but with players such as Irving, Al Horford, Marcus Morris and even Aron Baynes gone, Tatum has taken on significantly more responsibility this season, and he has delivered.
It also helps to have a healthy Gordon Hayward attracting a heck of a lot more attention from the defense than he did 12 months ago, and Jaylen Brown's jump has benefited Tatum, as well.
But really, this is more about Tatum's superb skill level finally blossoming.
It's not just that Tatum is such a smooth scorer; he also has a very high basketball IQ and is an underrated playmaker offensively, possessing solid court vision and understanding when to make the pass and when to take the shot.
Additionally, the Duke product has trimmed his mid-range shot attempts significantly, as he went from taking 18.8 percent and 16.1 percent of his field goal attempts from 16 feet to just inside the 3-point line over his first two seasons to 9.1 percent this year, which has resulted in a bump in his efficiency.
And for all of the talk about how great Tatum as been offensively, not enough people are discussing his defensive chops, as he has legitimately developed into one of the league's best two-way players. His length, athleticism and savvy makes him an incredibly disruptive force on the defensive end and provides him with the capability to guard multiple positions.
The scariest part about all of this? Jayson Tatum still has ample room to grow at just 21 years old. He's already blossoming into one of the best players in the NBA, and he'll be making All-Star Games for years to come.
