Lock It In: Jayson Tatum Will Be an MVP Candidate in 2021

The Celtics finished up an impressive west coast road trip last night and head home with a record of 3-1 in those games. Their only  heartbreaking loss came at the hands of the Los Angeles Lakers on Sunday by a score of 114-112, but it was a game that was just another example of just how good Jayson Tatum can be. In the month of February, Jayson Tatum is averaging 30.5 points per game, 51.4% shooting from the field, and 50% from three point range. Tatum’s recent tear has not only caught the eye of fans, but also his peers arounds the league. After the Celtics went to-to-toe with the Lakers and Tatum dropped 41, LeBron took to Instagram and called Tatum a “problem”. CJ McCollum and Isaiah Thomas also took to twitter last night to acknowledge his elevated level of play.

Jayson Tatum has been absolutely phenomenal since the all-star break, but it is not an aberration for the 21-year-old. Last night was his 11th 30-point game of the season. The difference lately, is that Tatum is taking over games with consistency. Kemba Walker has missed the last three games due to a knee injury, but JT is proving that he is more than capable of carrying this team. It seems like ever since he was announced as an All-Star, he’s been playing like a superstar. He is cementing his claim as the closer on this Celtics’ team and will be the driving force in their success in the playoffs. Jayson Tatum is evolving into that cornerstone, franchise player that every Celtic fan hoped he would become.

The most exciting part in all of this is that Tatum still has so much untapped potential. His body is still maturing, so he will continue to get bigger and stronger. He has clearly taken enormous steps from last year, especially with his ball handling and three point shot. He has also stepped up as a defender. I bring all of this up to say that he is now getting experience as the clear number one scoring option on this team and has the confidence to take those clutch shots and has the skill set to be successful. He will go into this offseason knowing he is “that guy” and will carry that mindset and confidence into next season. If and when he does that, he will be a top 5 MVP candidate next year. Lock it in.

Photo: (Getty Images)