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Jayson Tatum Putting NBA Ready Offense On Display

By Joshua Bateman

PHILADELPHIA, PA - OCTOBER 6: Jayson Tatum #0 of the Boston Celtics goes for a dunk during the game against the Philadelphia 76ers during a preseason on October 6, 2017 at Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2017 NBAE (Photo by Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty Images)
PHILADELPHIA, PA - OCTOBER 6: Jayson Tatum #0 of the Boston Celtics goes for a dunk during the game against the Philadelphia 76ers during a preseason on October 6, 2017 at Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2017 NBAE (Photo by Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty Images) /
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Jayson Tatum is already showing the Boston Celtics why he can have an impact as a rookie

Any time you pick in the top three, there is going to be a lot of hype around that player. When you trade the top pick to go down to three and select a player that the organization proclaims is the best player in the draft, everyone wants to see something special.

Then, when the coach and multiple players on the team rave about the incredible talent and potential of that player, anything short of a great ROY run is going to be seen as a disappointment to many.

For Jayson Tatum, however, the feel was a bit different. Even as everyone showered him with praise, this organization is always patient with their players, and Brad Stevens has a reputation of easing his rookies in, especially for a 19 year old on a team that is ready to contend now.

We went into this preseason not really knowing what kind of role Tatum would have right off the bat. After two preseason games, it is starting to feel like Tatum might break that trend of rookies having a minor role.

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There are a lot of different reasons the Celtics love Tatum so much, but the highest upside is his NBA ready offense, something this Celtics team desperately needs off the bench.

In his first preseason game, it took him a few minutes to settle down, but once that happened he started hitting all his shots in rhythm, while attacking certain matchups in isolation, and killing them.

Then Tatum got the starting nod against the 76ers, and he looked like a player that would do just fine playing with the starters. Tatum never got in anyone’s way, he did nothing to break the rhythm of offense, and he looked as polished as anyone else when hitting shots.

The great advantage for Tatum on this Celtics team is that he will not have to create all the offense. There is great upside in his isolation, and that is something we could see a lot of with the second unit.

With the starters, however, every shot he was taking was a good look, and he already looks like one of the more trusted players in that situation. There are so many different ways that Stevens is going to be able to run an offense that generates open looks, and we still have not seen every way the Celtics will attack with Tatum.

The bottom line is that all indications point to Tatum being more than ready to have an impact on the offensive end, without hurting the team in any respect.

He will surely have some more defensive struggles when the real season starts, and his consistency could come into question at times. Nevertheless, this is a 19 year old rookie that looks as comfortable as anyone on a team that has championship expectations, and he looks ready to have whatever kind of impact that Stevens wants.

Chances are that starting nod was just to experiment in the preseason, because he has a long ways to go before he can establish the trust that will make him an every day starter. The excitement comes from the fact that he is doing everything right, and if he can maintain his offensive comfort and effectiveness that we saw against the 76ers, then it will probably just be a matter of time before he gets that starting nod.

Next: Celtics vs 76ers: 3 Things to Watch

Size and defensive problems will make it difficult for Tatum to get the majority of his minutes with the starters, but Stevens can have more confidence in another small ball option that could bring the kind of offense that will blow teams off the court.

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