Jayson Tatum elevates his scoring game to a new level as the Celtics defeat the Bulls.
Boston — Getting to the free throw line was one of the few areas in Jayson Tatum’s offensive game where there was still opportunity for improvement going into this season. Tatum didn’t rank among the top scorers last season despite his decent 6.2 free throw attempts per game average.
Tatum sometimes seemed to want to avoid making contact rather than finish through it, which made things more difficult for him and the Celtics offense in several situations.
Tatum’s ability to get to the free throw line appears to be as improved as any aspect of his game through Boston’s 5-3 start, despite the fact that he has gone from an All-Star level player to a serious MVP contender this season. The 24-year-old helped the Celtics overcome a bad shooting night (8-of-23) for himself to outduel DeMar DeRozan on Friday night by racking up a career-high 20 free throws in the team’s 123-119 victory over the Bulls.
Tatum is currently averaging 8.6 points per game this season, which places him seventh overall in the NBA after the 20 free throw attempts he made on Friday. This is by far the greatest ranking of his career.
Regarding his progress, Tatum remarked, “I think the more my body develops the older I get, the more I’m able to take contact.” “I believe I’ve improved a lot over the years at just reading when we’re in the bonus, time, and situation in the game.”
Over the past few years, Tatum’s growth on this front has been enjoyable to observe for veteran Al Horford.
“He demonstrated a great level of aggression tonight, and it’s impressive to watch him score so many free throws,” Horford remarked. “First of all, he’s doing something correctly, and second, he’s attacking the hoop with extreme aggression. He performed an excellent job, in my opinion, of knowing when to go for the foul and when to kick the ball out. He made really wise decisions.
