Can we even put into words the type of season Boston Celtics star Jayson Tatum is having?
Tatum is receiving some high praise from players and coaches around the NBA, most notably LeBron James calling him a "young king" following his 41-point effort against the Lakers on Sunday. C's coach Brad Stevens joined in before Boston's game against the Trail Blazers in Portland on Tuesday night -- noting that the Tatum party is just getting started.
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"I think he's really doing a great job of recognizing situations," Stevens said. "He's getting more thrown at him every game and, as you can tell, there's a hunger to continue to improve. So, I think the best part about this story is he's had a year worthy of being named an All-Star and he's gotten better since he was named an All-Star. So, those are usually good signs."
The 21-year-old is averaging 22.9 points, 2.9 assists and 7.0 rebounds per game this season while shooting 44.5 percent from the field and 38.6 percent from beyond the 3-point arc.
In the two games since the All-Star break, Tatum is averaging 34.5 points, 2.5 assists and 8.0 rebounds while shooting 49.1 percent from the field and 48.6 percent from 3-point range. Obviously, it's a very small sample size, but Tatum is showing just how dominant he can become while also giving us a taste of his ability to completely take over games.
Kemba Walker hasn't played since the All-Star Game, which has pushed Tatum to become more of a leader for Boston in key situations. Considering the C's will once again be without Walker on Tuesday night, expect more big things from Tatum.
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