Jayson Tatum once again looked like the best player on the court as the Celtics dominated the Nets on Wednesday. Tatum had multiple impressive finishes as he flirted with a triple-double, finishing with 36 points, nine rebounds and 10 assists.
Tatum is playing some of the best basketball of his career coming off his first championship. And as he pointed out, at 26, that’s not necessarily surprising. He’s already enjoyed great highs in the league, but he’s just now entering the physical prime of his career. That’s a key difference compared to past years as Tatum continues to develop and work on his game.
“I’m getting older in the sense of I’m getting in better physical shape,” Tatum said, via CLNS Media. “Being at 26, this is the best physically I’ve felt compared to other years. I think that’s just me coming into my own. And just picking up where we left off from last year and knowing what we’re trying to achieve, and knowing that it starts from Day 1.”
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Of course, experience is the best teacher for a guy like Tatum. He mentions often how he’s seen just about every defensive coverage to try to slow him down, so there’s a maturity to his game, too. It doesn’t hurt to also have such a talented cast around him as Tatum can still make a massive impact even if he isn’t scoring like Wednesday’s win.
The Celtics bounced back against the Nets after their loss to the Hawks on Tuesday. While the C’s have struggled of late, their play in Brooklyn showed their peak as title contenders. Tatum was a huge part of that, including a 13-point first quarter to help the Celtics overcome another slow start.
It’s clear Tatum is elevating his game to new heights, which is a positive sign for the Celtics. He’s been in the national spotlight ever since he was drafted at 19, and all that experience has hardened him to be a legit first-team All-NBA star. He sounds like it, too, as the seventh-year veteran in the locker room of a championship team.
“Just being in the league for seven seasons now, the NBA is like a rollercoaster,” Tatum said. “Emotionally, the more staying level that you stay at, I think the better you’ll be. And you can’t get too high on wins or too low on losses. Not saying that you sweep them under the rug. You acknowledge what transpired and why you lost, and we did that.”
