Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum certainly hasn’t taken long to acclimate himself to the NBA. Tatum has been one of the most impressive rookies this season, averaging 13.7 points and 5.7 rebounds while playing a vital role for the league-leading Celtics.
Thanks to his strong play, Tatum has quickly earned fans around the league. One of which is Charlotte Hornets coach Steve Clifford, who believes Tatum has all the tools needed to make it in this league.
“He’s made for this league. This league is about 2-way players . . . who have versatility, quickness & toughness & they – #Celtics – have a roster full of them” – Steve Clifford #Hornets on Jason Tatum
— Bill Herenda (@billherenda) November 10, 2017
Clifford witnessed some of that quickness, versatility, and toughness firsthand as Tatum dropped 16 points to help the Celtics to another win against Clifford’s Hornets.
Article Continues BelowJayson Tatum’s versatility, in particular, has been on show early on this season. With injuries to Gordon Hayward and Marcus Morris, he’s needed to play both forward positions at various times, and he’s played both surprisingly well.
Even his defense, which was the main knock on him coming out of college, hasn’t been much of an issue as he’s displayed his two-way ability.
With Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown, and Gordon Hayward, the Celtics have a handful of those big, versatile wings who have become more and more valuable as the league has gone smaller and faster. If Tatum can continue his upward trajectory, it may not be long until he becomes a bona fide star in this league which he looks tailor-made for.