Wise beyond his age
Tatum not like most
WALTHAM — Marcus Morris, who is on his fourth team and seemingly having the time of his NBA life, appreciates the specialness of what it is to be Jayson Tatum.
At least, this is what the Celtics forward has shared with his rookie teammate.
“JT, fresh out of college this year — I was telling him, you’re kind of living the dream, coming out of college and being a contributor,” Morris said before yesterday’s practice. “One of the best contributors on the Boston Celtics is a dream.
“I told him just do what he do and continue to play, and definitely take it to another level because it’s going to be tough. Prepare mentally for it.”
The dream gains intensity today, when Tatum starts his first playoff game as the Celts host Milwaukee. Everything he has learned about the game takes on an additional edge, with a ramped-up home crowd and a big-time star named Giannis Antetokounmpo on the other side.
Tatum has shown traces of greatness himself this year after being pushed onto the proving ground early due to the opening night loss of Gordon Hayward.
But he was characteristically quiet on the subject yesterday, saying, “Just what I’ve been doing all season. Just trying to be aggressive, spacing the floor. And we all gotta defend out there.”
Don’t misinterpret his innate quietness, by the way. It’s a sign of the calm Tatum has brought to the game since his first official night with the Celtics.
“I think the biggest thing is that we’ve just tried to consistently be able to focus on — the task at hand and be growth-oriented,” said Brad Stevens yesterday. “He’s going to learn something (today) that he has to be able to apply in Game 2. He’s going to learn something in Game 2 that he’s going to be able to apply in Game 3.”
That emotional makeup led Jerome Allen, who coached Tatum in the Las Vegas Summer League, to refer to Tatum as an “old soul.”
Asked about his assistant coach’s comment yesterday, Stevens put his own spin on the meaning.
“I don’t know what Jerome meant by that, but obviously, he thinks the game at a high level for a young guy,” said Stevens. “And then the other part is that he doesn’t get rattled. He can get knocked down, he’ll get back up. Obviously, when you’re young and everything else, you’re put through a lot of challenges. He’s met every one of those and I don’t see any reason why he won’t continue to play well.”
One of those challenges is physical. Perhaps the biggest criticism of Tatum leading up to the draft was his thin build. He’s now listed at 210 pounds, and looks it. And yet he has shown an early knack for scoring off contact in the tradition of the legendary Celtic Paul Pierce. The comparison to Pierce happens a lot with Tatum.
“I think some of it is, he’ll continue to get stronger as the years go on, but I also think his strength is underestimated now,” said Stevens. “I think the way that he and (Pierce) drive through contact, he can get low on the dribble. He’s tough. He’s competitive. He’s been able to make that something that hasn’t really — the physicality of the league — he has been able to play through.”
Morris thinks of the rookie as a kid brother.
“Biggest thing I take away from dealing with Jay is he’s a good kid,” said Morris. “I enjoy being around him. We compete at a lot of things, like him being a little brother — shooting one-on-one, video games. He’s like having a little brother. He’s got a good head on his shoulders and a good family behind him, and that makes it very easy to be around him and talk to him. He has a bright future ahead of him.”
Asked about what is already a signature calmness for Tatum, Morris added, “For sure. Him and (Jaylen Brown) are our youngest guys, and they are the future of the NBA. They put the work in and never get too ahead of themselves.”
Though Brown was a rookie on a very different C’s team, he sees Tatum progressing in similar fashion.
“Me and Jayson are two different situations, coming into a team where everything was kind of established, and coming into a team where everything was brand new, 11 new guys. It was a little bit different of a situation, but adapting is the same either way,” said Brown. “Still, coming out of college and performing at this level is tough to do, and Jayson has been superb in that area, so I tip my hat off to him and his work ethic.”
‘He’s a good kid, man . . . . He has a bright future ahead of him.’ — MARCUS MORRIS, on Jayson Tatum (pictured)