Jayson Tatum receives praise for his playstyle last season

Jayson Tatum has received significant criticism throughout the summer. 

Certain parts of the media have questioned his shooting struggles during the Boston Celtics' run to the 2024 NBA Finals and Team USA's run to a gold medal at the Paris Olympics. However, those criticisms only focus on one aspect of Tatum's overall production.

In a recent article from Steve Bulpett of Heavy, an anonymous NBA coach praised Tatum's Celtics style of play. The coach noted how the All-Star forward embraced becoming a playmaker, allowing his teammates to thrive off the attention his presence generates.

"If you just look at numbers, you miss what was actually happening out there,” the coach told Bulpett. “Defenses get more focused in the playoffs because you have time to gameplan for just one team, and they were really setting up to throw extra people at Tatum. They figured he’d just force his offense and not move the ball … but he did move it, and that was the key for Boston the whole way through ... I mean, he had nine assists in the first half of the last game." 

According to PBP Stats, Tatum ended the regular season with 728 assists to his name. Of those assists, 110 came around the rim, 60 in the mid-range, 68 from the corner three and 126 from elsewhere around the perimeter. The diversity in his passing and how he generated those passes led to a steady diet of shots for his teammates after the All-NBA First-Team selection manipulated the defense and forced a collapse or a rotation.

Tatum's scoring gravity was a significant weapon for Boston. Even when he struggled from the field, teams had to respect the threat he posed with the ball in his hands. He will have that same gravity once the new season gets underway. Expecting him to struggle when shooting the ball for an entire season is a fool's errand. Sooner or later, he will figure things out and get back to being the multi-faceted three-level scorer who strikes fear into teams around the NBA.

Nevertheless, Tatum's passing unlocked the Celtics' star-studded roster. He became the complete player his team needed him to be. As such, he must find a way to ignore the criticism and continue playing the brand of basketball that helped earn him his first championship ring.

"He should develop a hearing problem," the coach said. "I sure hope he’s not listening to any of this [expletive] out there.”

Boston is at its best when Tatum is embracing a well-rounded approach. He's developed into one of the best passing forwards in the NBA. His scoring may have taken a hit, but his chances of winning at the highest level have significantly increased, and when all is said and done, the amount of rings on his resume is all anyone will talk about. 

The coach is right; ignoring the criticism is Tatum's best chance of another successful season, even if the media tells you otherwise.