Boston Celtics superstar, Jayson Tatum, is off to a hot start to begin the year. After an offseason that saw many criticize the new NBA champion for his poor shooting in the NBA Finals and the Olympics, Tatum seems to have settled back into form. Boston looks like the defending champions as they are currently 3-0 and still looking like the favorites to repeat. However, one interesting storyline that could be developing is Jayson Tatum becoming a major MVP candidate. Tatum was in the MVP race last season but did not quite finish in the top-three for voting. This season, things could be different.
“I think I am [worthy of the MVP discussion],” Tatum said “It’s a long season. Every time I step on the floor, I feel like I’m the best player. But it’s a lot of talented guys in this league … If it happened, it would be a dream come true. But it wasn’t, like, ‘Come back, win MVP.’ It’s like, ‘Come back, get to the championship.’”
The Celtics small forward is off to arguably the best start of his career this season.
Jayson Tatum Aware He Could be an MVP Favorite This Year
Jayson Tatum’s Hot Start to the New Campaign
To start the new campaign, Jayson Tatum has raced off to an early lead in the MVP conversation. In three matchups, he is averaging 33.0 points, 6.3 total rebounds, 6.0 assists per game, and an effective field goal percentage of 68.0 percent. The five-time All-Star has been as efficient as it gets to start the year. Per FanDuel, he has +400 odds to win MVP as of October 28th, 2024. That only trails Shai-Gilgeous Alexander and Luka Doncic in that department. If the Celtics continue to have this much team success, then Tatum could add to his already Hall of Fame-like NBA resume this season.
Can the Celtics Repeat?
The Celtics already look like a team that cannot be stopped in a seven-game series to start the new campaign. They are the favorites to win the title again at +300 odds. The team currently ranks first in team three-point shooting percentage at 44.2 percent and 12th in team defensive rebounding percentage at 70.9 percent. Boston also ranks ninth in opponent second chance points at 13.0 per game (tied with the Toronto Raptors and New York Knicks). With the team looking great on both ends of the floor and retaining much of their star-studded core, the Boston Celtics are in prime position to repeat this year. Especially if Jayson Tatum continues to play like an MVP.
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