Are Expectations Too High For Jayson Tatum?

Expectations for rookie small forward Jayson Tatum are considerably tall entering the season.

Some Boston Celtics fans entered NBA Summer League play harboring some dismay at general manager Danny Ainge’s decision to pass on inevitable first-overall pick Markelle Fultz and instead trade down two slots to select Duke small forward Jayson Tatum.

However, following Tatum’s performances in the July circuit, those second-guessers had quickly been convinced to remain quiet.

Named to the All-Summer League Second Team, Tatum impressed mightily, posting 17.7 points and 8.0 rebounds per contest while looking like a men amongst boys. Tatum dominated his outmatched competition with smooth drives to the basket and off-footed turnaround jumpers that brought Twitter-heads to begin to compare him to Dirk Nowitzki.

With preseason right around the corner, Tatum has been all the buzz at Celtics training camp. The veterans have been singing his praises, as Al Horford told MassLive that Tatum is “as ready as I’ve seen any rookie” while Kyrie Irving has provided a surplus of compliments towards him as of late.

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Tatum’s situation contrasts from that of last year’s third overall selection, Jaylen Brown. Celtics fans came to terms with the notion that Brown would be a work in progress, someone who would have to earn their minutes and would not see the fruit of their labor until later down the line.

With Tatum, many are expecting him to produce immediately out of the gate, especially with head coach Brad Stevens mentioning that the team needs strong contributions from him to capture their goal of a conference championship.

The expected output from Tatum in Year 1 is comparable to what Duke fans expected out of him entering his freshman season with the team. Considered a top-two recruit by many, Tatum had the pressure to perform from the outset with the Blue Devils.

Celtics fans can find solace in the fact that Tatum showed well in his first month with Duke. After missing the first few weeks of the season with a minor injury, Tatum was a force to be reckoned with in December.

In just his second game as a Coach K understudy, Tatum was dynamite against 21st-ranked Florida. He made seven of his 11 field goal attempts while knocking down all eight of his free throws for 22 points. To accompany that, he grabbed eight defensive rebounds and netted two steals. The following game, Tatum put up 13 points and five rebounds in just 24 minutes in a blowout of UNLV on the road before recording 14 and nine in 29 minutes against Tennessee State.

Tatum delivered under immense expectations in his first few weeks at Duke. However, the Celtics will not be opening up their season against the likes of Maine, UNLV, and Tennessee State. The competition level will be higher than Tatum has ever witnessed from the jump, and it is reasonable to expect him to take some time to adjust.

Something that bodes well for Tatum is that he is playing alongside a group of veterans who have been through similar situations. Irving was the No. 1 overall selection by the Cleveland Cavaliers and has already established himself as a mentor figure to Tatum and the rest of the young guns in the Celtics locker room.

Marcus Smart was selected sixth overall in 2014, Brown was a top pick in 2016, and the duo of Horford and Gordon Hayward were also top-ten draft choices.

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Tatum has allies in the locker room who have experienced the pressures of being a premier rookie, and he will be able to look upon them for guidance if the grind of the NBA begins to wear on him.