Drama surrounding Jayson Tatum’s three-point shot has gone too far

Last postseason, Jayson Tatum was ice cold from three-point range. The spell continued into the summer, as the Boston Celtics star failed to make a jump shot during Team USA’s Olympic run, and it was likely part of the reason he failed to earn playing time in two of the squad’s six games.

Despite his rough patch, the Celtics still accomplished everything they set out to at the beginning of the year—they captured Banner 18 and became NBA Champions. But just because the Celtics were great doesn’t mean they, including Tatum, can’t be better. That’s their goal heading into next season.

And as drama flies about Tatum’s new three-point shot, of which videos surfaced from post-practice, the discourse has reached unnecessary heights.

The talk about Jayson Tatum's three-point shot has gone too far

At Media Day, Tatum noted that he worked with his trainer, Drew Hanlen, on his three-point shot over the summer.

“Watched a lot of film,” Tatum said. “Been working with my trainer, Drew. a lot. As recently as the last few weeks. A few mechanical things, pick up points, hand placement, getting lower, keeping my shoulders forward, and things like that.”

Tatum shot 28.3% from distance throughout the postseason, and as is true with most issues, the most recent happenings are the ones that live on in people’s minds. But while his playoff slump made its way through the media circuits, his 37.6% regular-season mark (his best in three years) was quickly buried.

But that wasn’t the real kicker.

The Celtics star couldn’t make a three to save himself in the postseason. It felt like every shot that went up was paired with a sense of awkwardness and uncertainty. But Boston was winning. And Tatum was playing elite basketball in every other aspect of the game.

He could have adjusted mid-playoffs. He could have worked to change his shot, honing in on the one area of his game that was lagging behind. But what would be the point of that?

“There were some things I could have fixed,” Tatum said. “But just in the midst of the playoffs, trying to manage your rest and things like that, it's a little bit tough. And I was still playing well. Just wasn't shooting them well as well as I would have liked. And obviously, we were winning. So, it wasn't that time or the place to try to fix things in that moment.”

Rather than attempting to solve his woes from beyond the arc, Tatum doubled down on everything else. He kept shooting, keeping defenses honest, and hoping to find a groove, but his impact shined elsewhere.

Throughout the postseason, Tatum led the Celtics in points, rebounds, and assists, becoming just the sixth player to do so in a championship run. He took a massive leap as a playmaker, saw multiple bodies almost every time down the floor, and took on the challenge of playing multiple defensive roles.

The result was a championship, and Joe Mazzulla is far from concerned about his shooting.

“The decision to shoot it is more important,” Mazzulla said after practice on Thursday. “So, at the end of the day, as long as he's playing great basketball and he's making great decisions, I trust his development and I trust his coach, and I trust the things that he does. So, as long as he's doing that, he keeps winning [as] the most important thing. And at the end of the day, that's the most important thing—winning. So, that's what's important to him. 

“And then his growth. His growth as a player, on and off the court, is important. So, as long as he maintains that, just continues to get better and better, that puts our team in a good position.”

Even if Mazzulla wanted to give Tatum some pointers, he’s not in the position to do so.

“I couldn't shoot at all, so I would never tell someone about shooting,” said Mazzulla, who shot 29.3% from deep during his five years at West Virginia.

So, as Tatum struggled to find his bearings as a shooter during the playoffs, that wasn’t his sole focus. Frustration may have tried to inch its way in from time to time, but his mission was clear: Win. And that’s what he did.

Taking the offseason to adjust and recalibrate was an obvious step. Tatum wants to get better as a shooter, and his release looks a bit different heading into next season. It’s quicker, and it seems to be more focused on his wrist rather than his arms.

But at the end of the day, his teammates aren’t eyeballing his three-point percentage. They just want Tatum to be Tatum.

“One of the best players on the team. I think he knows that he can do everything,” said Jrue Holiday. “He impacts the game in so many different ways. On the defensive end, which we've seen. We've seen him step up, regardless of the best players. Or if it's driving to the basket [and] they're trapping them, he's making the right plays. 

“So, I'm not worried about JT scoring or anything like that. He's going to score. He said he's one of the best basketball players in the world. So, scoring, making plays for other people, on the defensive [and] offensive end. Never really worried about JT.”