Is Jayson Tatum the Real Deal?

After trading down to the number three spot in the 2017 NBA draft, the Boston Celtics selected Jayson Tatum, the freshmen star out of Duke University. Jayson Tatum was always seen as a scorer, arguably the most polished offensive weapon in the draft, and that caught the Celtics eye.

The Next Superstar?

In Jayson Tatum's first game of Summer league, he showcase the skills he had, which included good drives to the hoop, powerful dunks and a ungaurdable fadeaway shot, and Tatum would not stop there going on to dominate the rest of the games, using his now signature fadeaway shot. This came as a surprise to pretty much everyone, we all knew Tatum was a gifted scorer, but even at Duke we didn't see Tatum having a such amazing offensive skill set. Tatum very consistently knocked down tough fadeaway shots. Is this a sign for greatness?

Rare Talent...That's for sure

Most current NBA players would struggle to knockdown a fadeaway shot consistently, and those who could turned out to be stars and legends in the NBA, which includes Paul Pierce, Carmelo Anthony, Dirk Nowitzki, Kobe Bryant, and MJ. Could Tatum become the next NBA superstar? It all comes down to him. Jayson Tatum no doubt has the talent to succeed in this league, if he is determined enough, if he is willing to work on his game, there is no reason not to believe Jayson Tatum will be NBA's next superstar.

Improvements to make

Jayson Tatum will need to work on his playmaking ability and defense. Tatum showed flashes of good court vision at Duke, but overall his passing game would need adjustment. Tatum standing at 6'8 feet with a long wingspan, Tatum's potential on defense is something coach Brad Stevens kept bringing up during interviews in summer league, he just need to learn to be more aggressive on opposing players. Fortunately for Jayson Tatum, ball movement and defense are aspects of the game Brad Stevens focuses on. Boston Celtics was one of the top teams in assists and defensive rating, having Tatum learning in the system already gifted on offensive, this is a match made in heaven.

In the end, it all comes down the grit and work Tatum puts in, as Paul Pierce said, The difference that separates guys, is the mentality they brought to the game. There is much to be excited about for Jayson Tatum, these few years are for sure going to be a fun ride for Celtics fans.