Boston Celtics: B/R says Jayson Tatum will be top scoring small forward

The Boston Celtics are a team looking to be on the bounce back in 2021-22 after having one of their most lackluster campaigns in recent memory last year.

Now, after a full summer of restructuring their team from the front office all the way to the talent pool found within their rotation, the organization has fans excited about what could come during this upcoming season.

Heading into the regular season, we at the Houdini have brought to light some of our own thoughts and predictions about what could happen between October 20th’s tip-off and June of 2022’s climax and we most certainly are not the only media outlet to be doing so.

In fact, just recently the folks at Bleacher Report went about and gave their picks for which NBA player will lead the league in scoring at each position, and, for small forward, they listed Boston Celtics star, Jayson Tatum, as their choice to reign supreme.

Citing the fact that he’ll be heavily utilized in the team’s gameplan throughout the season coupled with his already unbelievable offensive repertoire, writer, Grant Hughes, is seemingly under the impression that choosing the 23-year-old building block is a rather easy decision:

"The Boston Celtics forward made major gains last season by improving his scoring at the rim. Tatum still frequently resorts to an off-arm shove when trying to create space, but he’s developed craft and learned to use his increasing strength to finish more effectively at close range. His 68 percent hit rate at the rim in 2020-21 was easily a career best.It’s not just the scoring that’s coming together for Tatum. He’s also making strides as a passer (career-high 19.6 percent assist rate), rebounder and defender. We only care about the buckets, though, and Tatum’s upward trajectory from last year’s 26.4 points per game makes him the logical pick here."

Coming off of the best statistical season of his career, posting averages of 26.4 points, 7.4 rebounds, and 4.3 assists on 46 percent shooting from the floor and nearly 39 percent shooting from deep, the All-Star wing heads into his fifth year in the association seemingly primed to receive a bigger role within the team’s scheme which, in turn, should only translate into bigger statistical turnouts.

Having already finished first in this category amongst the NBA’s crop of small forwards last season (according to ESPN), it only seems right to predict that he has the best chance to do it again.