Boston Celtics superstar Jayson Tatum struggled with his shooting in the playoffs last season, specifically from behind the arc, as his averages have dropped over the last two years from deep.
Tatum finished the regular season averaging 37.6 percent on 3-pointers, but he only landed 28.3 percent during the playoffs in 2023-24. In the previous season, however, Tatum averaged 32.3 percent from deep during the playoffs.
Most opposing defenses are double-teaming or sometimes even triple-teaming Tatum, forcing him to take highly contested and bad shots, or to become a playmaker- which he’s excellent at doing.
Another reason for Tatum’s inconsistent shooting from behind the arc is because of his own mechanics, rushing his shooting motion and altering his shot.
On Media Day, CLNS Media’s Bobby Manning asked Tatum about his mechanics being off in the playoffs and if he worked on it during the offseason. Tatum answered.
“I watched a lot of film. I worked with my trainer Drew, a lot, recently over the last few weeks. A few mechanical things: pickup points, hand placement, getting lower, keeping my shoulders forward, things like that… there’s some things I could’ve fixed, but just in the midst of the playoffs… it wasn’t the time or the place to try to fix things.”
At Boston’s first practice on Wednesday, Tatum was seen shooting from distance with smooth shooting motions and confidence. There was no lag in his stroke and it was quite evident to see.
There were many times over the last two years where Tatum’s shooting motion just looked off from what we’ve seen from him over the last seven years of his career.
Tatum’s averages in the regular season have dropped from previous years, but not drastically like they have in the playoffs. He shoots 37.5 percent for his career in the regular season and 34.5 percent in the playoffs.
What is great about Tatum and sets him apart from the rest of the league is how impactful he is as a playmaker on one end of the court and a defender on the other end.
It took some time, but Tatum doesn’t allow a bad outing on offense to impact his defense or his overall game anymore. His presence on the court has matured and other teams have to respect that this season as he enters his eighth year with the Celtics.
Tatum usually improves on an element of his game each season. It seems like perfecting his shot was the part of his game that he chose to work on this offseason.
He should see it pay off this season.
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Photo Credit: Drew Hanlen, Instagram
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