Paul Rutherford-USA TODAY Sports

People didn’t have much to complain about with Jayson Tatum of the Boston Celtics last season.

The star player was putting up MVP numbers and was front and center for all of their games.

And the Celtics made it all the way to the Finals.

True, they didn’t end up overtaking the Golden State Warriors but they still had one of their best seasons in years and now enter 2022-23 as favorites to return to the Finals.

If people did say anything negative about Tatum it was that he wasn’t completely comfortable leading his team.

Some complained that he favored ISO ball and wasn’t yet at the point where he could be counted on to be a team leader like LeBron James, Giannis Antetokounmpo, or Stephen Curry.

But one guy inside the Boston knows Tatum is growing in that aspect.

Al Horford gave his thoughts on Tatum’s leadership skills, saying, “He was very vocal during the playoffs. He took a huge step.”

Will he continue to take huge steps?

Now that he’s reached the Finals once, is Tatum about to unleash a new side of himself?

Tatum Taking The Lead

There is no doubt that Tatum is one of the most accomplished and exciting players in the league right now.

He’s the best player on one of the best teams and could easily claim his first MVP trophy if he keeps playing as he has been.

But a team needs a central figure to guide and lead them if they wish to win the Finals.

That should be Tatum – but it might take time and more experience for him to be able to be that.

He just had the most explosive season of his career – will that help him lead even more?

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