Jayson Tatum reportedly working to fix notable issue with his game
May 7, 2024; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum (0) smiles before game one of the second round of the 2024 NBA playoffs against the Cleveland Cavaliers at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Winslow Townson-USA TODAY Sports
Even after winning the NBA championship, Jayson Tatum still sees a lot of room for improvement.
Ramona Shelburne of ESPN reported Tuesday on something interesting with the Boston Celtics star Tatum. Shelburne writes that Tatum has been working this offseason to fix a mechanical issue with his jumper, which had apparently come up early last season and recurred during both the playoffs and the Olympics. Tatum is reportedly working with longtime skills coach Drew Hanlen and physical therapist Nick Sang to address the issue.
The five-time All-Star Tatum did shoot a very respectable 47.1 percent from the field and 37.6 percent from three last season overall. But Tatum remains very prone to bad shooting games and saw his numbers nosedive to 42.7 percent from the field and 28.3 percent from deep in the playoffs.
Shelburne gave no further details about the mechanical issue with Tatum’s shot. But Tatum is known for his distinctive shooting form in which he first brings the ball by the side of his waist before craning it over his head in a seemingly unnatural motion.
In any case, the extra work in the gym should only be able to help the 26-year-old Tatum next year. Though he just won his first NBA title and also received the biggest contract in NBA history from the Celtics (a five-year, $314 million supermax extension), Tatum still has some other motivations to keep himself going.
