Hardwood Houdini
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Jayson Tatum becoming the most reliable player on the Boston Celtics

By Joshua Bateman

BOSTON, MA - MAY 23: Jayson Tatum #0 of the Boston Celtics exits the arena after Game Five of the Eastern Conference Finals of the 2018 NBA Playoffs against the Cleveland Cavaliers on May 23, 2018 at the TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts. 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 2018 NBAE (Photo by Brian Babineau/NBAE via Getty Images)
BOSTON, MA - MAY 23: Jayson Tatum #0 of the Boston Celtics exits the arena after Game Five of the Eastern Conference Finals of the 2018 NBA Playoffs against the Cleveland Cavaliers on May 23, 2018 at the TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts. 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 2018 NBAE (Photo by Brian Babineau/NBAE via Getty Images) /
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Jayson Tatum is growing into the most reliable player on the Boston Celtics

The Boston Celtics continue to redefine the standards of what you can expect from their young players. Simply getting to the Conference Finals with their youth replacing injuries was one of the most remarkable runs we have seen, and now they are on the verge of getting to the Finals.

In this series against the Cleveland Cavaliers, the Celtics have been quite up and down. They have been brutally inconsistent, and there have been times where it appears tough to trust the young players.

Obviously, they have done more than you could possible expect from players this young, but Jayson Tatum has been separating himself in a truly unprecedented way this series. The 20 year old has emerged as the most trusted offensive weapon, while being a difference maker on defense.

It has been difficult for the Celtics to trust much of anything this season. Tatum has somehow been the most reliable presence in this series, and that might be the biggest reason why they are one win away from getting to the Finals.

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It is not a coincidence that he is leading the team in minutes, because he is bringing more consistency on both ends than anyone else on this roster, and that alone puts him in a class of his own for a player his age.

It is one thing to showcase his incredible talent, and make it clear that he has the ability to develop into a two way monster. Right now, however, he is doing all the things to avoid looking like a rookie at all costs.

He never makes mistakes, he takes on tremendous defenisve responsibility and he is the primary creator on offense. Tatum was out there getting steals as he fronted LeBron James, and then coming down and hitting a step back three with someone in his face.

He is never making negative plays on either end and as every game passes he further pushes how much can be expected of him. Tatum is not just doing this for a brief stretch in the regular season. These are the kind of minutes and the kind of challenges that some players never see in their entire career, and he has not flinched.

Tatum is not coming out and dominating these games and that is also part of the reliability. Stevens know that Tatum is not going to play hero ball and take matters into his own hands. He understands exactly what Brad Stevens wants out of him, and he is giving him that more consistently than anyone else on the roster.

At 20 years old, you would expect Tatum to be the player that needs to be calmed down, but he has turned into the calming presence out there. The Celtics have struggled in a lot of ways this series, but it has become abundantly clear that they are going to look to Tatum on both ends, and no one else is having the kind of complete and balanced impact that he is.

There are a lot of reasons to get excited about what Tatum is going to grow into for the Celtics. The level of trust that Stevens is able to have in him, and the reliability he brings on the biggest stage against the best player in the world is the most impressive thing he has done this season.

Next: 3 keys to a game six victory

The Celtics know James is going to bring something special in game six, so I would expect the Celtics to go to Tatum early and often. He will never have to do it on his own, but he is ready to do his part to slow down James and make sure they can have an answer if James is hitting all the impossible shots we have seen him hit in the past.

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