Every morning, we compile the links of the day and dump them here… highlighting the big storyline. Because there’s nothing quite as satisfying as a good morning dump.
If you believe Tatum is going to be a better shooter than Thompson, you’ve crossed the rubicon between optimism and pure fantasy.
Much of the caution here boils down to skepticism about small samples. Tatum’s hot shooting and relatively brief playoff excellence still count in his favor, but he’s only 20. It’s way too early to start taking the Kobe Bryant parallels seriously, even if some of the evidence is compelling.
Tatum’s going to be great. But let’s not rush to anoint him as a superstar until he deserves it.
Bleacher Report: NBA’s Most Overhyped Players Ahead of 2018-19 Season
Jayson Tatum on article that dubbed him one of NBA's most overhyped: "I saw it. But, good or bad, articles really don’t faze me. Everybody is entitled to their own opinion. My job is to play basketball; their job is to write articles. I’ll stick to my job."
— Chris Forsberg (@ChrisForsberg_) August 18, 2018
First, the BR piece has been a little over-hyped itself. They basically say “he’s going to be awesome but let’s not expect a megastar jump just yet.” This goes to the heart of every evaluation of every great young player out there.
Boston is very excited about Tatum. Boston fans are already looking forward to the next phase of potential Celtics greatness led by Tatum and Jaylen Brown. Everyone is giddy about how good he already is and how good he can be.
Calling him over-hyped and saying people are rushing to anoint him a superstar is reacting to something other than what’s really happening. We can be excited about what he is and what he will be without jumping the gun. If that’s the case, then every good rookie is over-hyped.
Tatum, though, is even-keeled and measured in his response.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R3JEl9swZJk
Tatum can stick to his job, which he’s very good at. The best thing he can do is become the superstar player and show that whatever hype is out there is real.
Tatum gushed about work out with Kobe. Biggest takeaway? "Maybe a few things he showed me, post moves. But just interacting with him and being able to talk and ask him questions and trying to get into his mind and understand how he thought the game, what he did to be successful."
— Chris Forsberg (@ChrisForsberg_) August 18, 2018
Say what you will about Kobe, there’s no doubt that he had a killer instinct that would serve Tatum well. If Jayson is going to become what we think he can become, a little bit more of that stuff will help push him there. He was obviously passive last season because he was a rookie on the floor with established star players. Eventually, though, he’s going to have to aggressively go for his when he has the chance because that will be what gives the Celtics their best chance to score.
Tatum said he's gotten stronger this summer. "That's probably been the biggest focus. I'm still young so it's hard to really just throw on a bunch of extra pounds. But I've definitely gotten a lot stronger. … I just wanted to get my body right and keep getting stronger."
— Chris Forsberg (@ChrisForsberg_) August 18, 2018
That strength to get to the rim and finish through contact will be very important too. I don’t know if Tatum is going to win Muscle-Watch 2018, but adding strength so he can drive and finish without losing the ball is a very big step in the right direction.
This has been a good summer for Tatum. He worked out with his idol and learned a few things. He also got a dose of media angst, which will dog him as long as he wears a Celtics jersey. Plenty of learning experiences that will serve him well in the future.
Related links: NBCSN Boston: Jayson Tatum on overhyped talk: ‘I’ll stick to my job’
The rest of the links:
Globe: Here’s what Nate McMillan is expecting from the Pacers this season
BSJ: Which Celtics rivals have money to spend in free agency
PBT: Baron Davis vs. Big Baby for Big 3 championship
Herald: Robertson’s NBA title ring sells for $91,000 in auction
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