Getting to the free throw line has unlocked a new level for Jayson Tatum
BOSTON -- Through the first 10 games of the season, Jayson Tatum looks like someone who has activated a cheat code. The Celtics forward has unlocked an important element of his game, and it's leading to some big point totals and a lot of MVP chatter.
Tatum dropped 39 points in a 109-106 win over the Grizzlies at FedEx Forum on Monday night, his second-highest scoring output of the season. He did so despite an off shooting night, hitting just 12 of his 25 shots from the floor.
Usually, nights like that would spell doom for Tatum and the Celtics. But a dozen of Tatum's points in Memphis came from the free throw line. Tatum looked like a man obsessed with getting to the iron on Monday night, putting his head down and attacked the basket throughout the win. He earned himself 16 trips to the charity stripe, just two games after he took a career-high 20 free throws in a win over the Bulls on Friday night.
We're getting used to seeing Tatum at the free throw line, and it's a really nice look on the 24-year-old. Tatum is averaging a career-high 8.3 free throws per game to start the season, up from 6.2 freebies per game last season. That has led to a career-high 30.1 points per game for the C's star.
If he's getting to the line that frequently, Tatum can afford to have an off night from the field. (He was just 3-for-11 from three-point range on Monday.) That should have the rest of the NBA shaking in their sneakers.
This doesn't feel like it's just a fad for Tatum, either. This is who he has become. Tatum has attempted at least nine freebies in four games this season, something he did just 16 times all of last season. He's gotten to the line at least eight times in six of the first 10 games this season.
Tatum now has 307 points on the season, which is the most in Celtics history through the first 10 games of the season. He's scored 74 of those points at the free throw line.
When he wasn't hitting free throws on Monday night, Tatum was making the most of his easy looks at the rim. He had a pair of loud and exciting transition dunks in the first quarter, thanks to some nice feeds from Marcus Smart.
Tatum was at his most spectacular was in the second quarter, helping Boston outscore Memphis 37-20. The Celtics ripped off a 20-0 run in the quarter, with Tatum dropping 19 points in the frame. The Celtics turned a six-point deficit into an 11-point lead by halftime.
Tatum is still taking (and making) his threes and his step-backs, but he's not relying on them nearly as much has he has in the past. Those more difficult shots are now a supplement to his inside game, allowing Tatum to really take things over on the floor.
On Monday, he won another head-to-head battle with Ja Morant, who scored 30 for Memphis. Morant had plenty of highlight buckets, but the Celtics defense made him work for them, especially in the fourth quarter as Boston held off a late Grizzlies charge. Tatum even had a block on Morant with just over four minutes to play.
Tatum had an injury scare late in the final minute of the game, when he got tangled up with Morant and stayed down for what felt like an eternity. He was back on his feet after a minute, but missed his two free throws with 25.4 seconds left.
The Grizzles made it a one-point game, but then Tatum calmly knocked down a pair of free throws with 2.2 seconds left to ice the victory for Boston. He had 11 points in the fourth, as Boston improved to 7-3 on the season.
With Tatum now focused on getting to the charity stripe, he's adding easy points to his personal total and helping the Celtics add wins in the standings. If he keeps it up, the wins will keep mounting, and the MVP talk will only get louder for the Celtics star.
