As serious fans, we all consider ourselves to be overly qualified to be wannabe GMs in whatever sport(s) we like but the truth is that it's way harder than anyone thinks. With that said, Celtics GM Danny Ainge made one of the easiest decisions of his entire tenure in Boston today by getting his young superstar Jayson Tatum to agree to a five-year extension that can be worth up to $195 million if he reaches certain All-NBA marks in that time frame. Swingman Jaylen Brown is a very good and promising player as well (that unfortunately plays the same position) and point guard Kemba Walker has been an All-Star multiple times but there is no doubt who the best player is on the team and also most importantly, who has the most potential further own the line.
Tatum is only 22 years old and he just finished his third NBA season but note the huge leap that he made from Year 2 to Year 3 which was outstanding. The No. 2 pick out of Duke in the 2017 draft (thanks Sixers for taking that fraud Markelle Fultz!), Tatum played in his first NBA All-Star Game this past season and was named to the All-NBA third team after averaging a team-high 23.4 points, seven rebounds, three assists and 1.4 steals per game. For such a young player, the swingman came into the league with the all-around offensive game of a longtime NBA standout. He can shoot very well (40% on 3s both this season and for his career), he can drive to the hoop utilizing a variety of creative moves and he consistently hits free throws (81% this season and 83% for his career).
With Gordon Hayward bouncing after three frustrating seasons in Boston, it is heartening to see Tatum not going anywhere for awhile longer granted the third NBA contract is generally when top talent start to reevaluate their situations the most as they enter unrestricted free agency. As long as the Celts have Tatum along with Brown who also has All-Star potential in his own right, they will be a factor in the Eastern Conference. There's really not too much to pick apart with Tatum: he's 6-foot-8 but listed at just 210 pounds so needless to say, he has to get stronger to not only last longer in the NBA but additionally to be able to use power to get baskets not only his moves and sneaky speed. Perhaps his most annoying trait is how much he complains to refs constantly during each and every game. Blame it on his Duke background, the fact that he came up in the AAU culture and probably has been a star his entire life or that he was tutored by the late Kobe Bryant (who was also known for his whining), but if he could cut down on that a bit, that would be a little more esthetically pleasing.
In the grand scheme of things, these are all small complaints about a guy who has all the ability in the world on the basketball court and thankfully doesn't seem to be a clown. More than any other big-time pro sport in the U.S., the NBA is ruled by stars and that's why the C's had to make this decision without hesitation. When your team isn't located in warm weather sexy locations like Los Angeles or Miami, you need to cling to these stars however they come about. Think of Giannis in Milwaukee, when is the next time they'll ever get a player of his caliber to play there? It sucks but that is the way it is so let's be happy that at least we have Tatum on our side (haha for now at least).
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