Boston Celtics superstar Jayson Tatum cemented himself as one of the best NBA players last season. In his second consecutive All-NBA First Team campaign, the superstar forward averaged 30.1 points, 8.8 rebounds, and 4.6 assists across 74 contests. Tatum shot 46.6% from the field while sinking 35% of his threes on 9.3 attempts per game.
Over the summer, Tatum spent several weeks with Paul Pierce training for the season. On Media Day, he talked to the NBC Sports Boston crew about his time with Pierce.
“I spent every day with Paul for like 3.5-4 weeks,” Tatum said. “He would come to the gym every morning, and he would work out with me in the weight room… It was just cool to have him around. Even he started to get motivated. Paul lost like 15, 18 pounds… It was great to have him around. He told stories. I asked him questions. It was a big part of the summer.”
Tatum further reflected on what he learned from Pierce this offseason.
“All the little things that he took away from his championship team in ‘08, how close you have to be as a unit,” Tatum said, per Bobby Manning of CLNS Media. “You need everybody on the team to help win a championship because one series, somebody might be an X-factor who is different from the next series. They all add up, and all the stories… every team meeting, and things they did off the court as a group. Just things that made that ‘08 team so special.”
NBA NEWS & RUMORS: Jayson Tatum, Paul Pierce & Boston Celtics Updates
Tatum also told Boston media that he gained 12 pounds over the summer and set some personal weightlifting records. The 25-year-old shot a career-best 8.4 free throw attempts per game last season and sank 85.4% of his freebies. Additional muscle will only improve Tatum’s ability to draw contact and complete tough finishes.
When Tatum hit 10 or more free throws last season, the Celtics maintained close to a 60-win pace with a 16-6 record in such contests. Tatum posted a career-best .399 free throw attempt rate, meaning he took .399 free throws for every field goal he attempted. He also recorded a 60.7% true shooting mark while firing a career-high 21.1 shot attempts per game.
NBA NEWS & RUMORS: Jayson Tatum, Paul Pierce & Boston Celtics Updates
At 6-foot-8 and 225 pounds, Tatum’s physicality makes him one of the best finishers in the sport. However, the former Duke product launched 44% of his shots from downtown last season. A heavier focus on inside scoring could turn Tatum into the best scorer on the planet, but he must commit to consistent aggression with his shot selection.
During his 19 years in the league, Pierce only fired 29.9% of his field goal attempts from three. While Tatum gained insight into championship mentality from the Hall of Famer, he could also benefit from some of Pierce’s on-court tendencies.
NBA NEWS & RUMORS: Jayson Tatum, Paul Pierce & Boston Celtics Updates
As he looks to lead the Celtics to their first championship since Pierce won Finals MVP in 2008, Tatum could lean on his experience with The Truth to take his game to even higher heights.
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