This is saying a lot for the seventh-year pro who has seen tons of NBA success and turns only 26 on March 3.
Exemplar play has been evident up-and-down the Celtics lineup. Boston (47-12) has been so successful as a unit that Tatum isn't being discussed nearly enough as an MVP candidate.
Tatum was once again a driving force in Boston's 10th-straight victory, a 138-110 victory over the Dallas Mavericks. Tatum, even with Luka Doncic on the opposite side dropping a triple-double, was the star of the game. The Boston star finished with 32 points, eight rebounds, and three assists, providing solid defense to boot.
All five Celtic starters scored in double figures. Jaylen Brown had 25 and Kristaps Porzingis 24. Boston finished 21-43 from deep and dished out 33 assists.
Having four fellow starters all capable of scoring 20+ points has relieved some of the burden Tatum has been given in recent seasons. Brown is averaging 22.3 points per game. He is on a recent hot streak the last three games, averaging averaged 28.6 points while shooting 35-58 (60.3 percent) from the field.
The help is nice and it can't be said enough the importance Tatum holds to this franchise.
Boston Celtics MVP
Usually, it goes without mentioning that the best player on the league's best team should be under consideration for regular season MVP. Not only is Tatum rarely mentioned for this honor, but he is not often spoken of as a top-five player in the league.
With so much individual talent in the NBA, it's understandable some players get lost in the shuffle. Arguments for many players can be made regarding who is among the elite, especially when it comes to MVP.
Joel Embiid seemed like a runaway favorite prior to being sidelined with a knee injury. His importance is clearly evident because the Philadelphia 76ers are completely different beast without Embiid.
Nikola Jokic averages nearly a triple-double for the Denver Nuggets and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is powering a surprise Oklahoma City Thunder to the second-best record in the West. Throw in names like Steph Curry, Giannis Antetokounmpo, and the aforementioned Doncic and the field is quite crowded.
And perhaps alone the reasoning Tatum isn't higher because if all the players mentioned above are out, their teams suffer mightily. Whereas with Tatum gone, the Celtics still have a championship worthy lineup.
Tatum, though, elevates the Celtics to greatness, helping the franchise to a fantastic first half of the season. He's done so with better play while often deferring (and engaging) teammates to do their thing.
Tatum is averaging 27.1 points, 8.5 rebounds, and 4.8 assists per game. Scoring is down by an average of three points from a season ago but the trade-off is that the Celtics are winning more. Tatum is shooting 47.6 percent from the field, best since his rookie season. And his three-point shooting is slightly better at 36.4 percent than a season ago, attempting nearly one less three-pointer per game.
The numbers for Tatum in February were slightly above his season average, all while finding key moments to take over games as needed. In the month, Tatum averaged 27.2 points, 8.9 rebounds, and 6.7 assists, with four double-doubles to his credit.
A great sign, too, is seeing that Tatum's turnovers are down and assists up.
It's hard to think where the Celtics would be without Tatum taking this step in his game. Scoring was never going to be a problem with this star. Tatum doing the little things across the board makes the Celtics better. With a tough schedule ahead, facing some of the league's best, Tatum has a prime chance to show off his growth. And, with a solid week, prove to be a prime candidate for MVP consideration.
Upcoming week
Boston looks to extend their winning streak and widen their lead(s) in the standings this upcoming week.
The Celtics hold a 5.5 game lead over the Minnesota Timberwolves for the NBA's best record. In the Eastern Conference, Boston has an eight-game lead over the Cleveland Cavaliers and Milwaukee Bucks. The lead is even bigger in the Atlantic Division, where the Celtics stand firm with a 12.5 lead over the New York Knicks.
Boston starts the week at home on Tatum's birthday, hosting the Golden State Warriors. Without Porzingis in December, the Celtics fell in overtime to the Warriors. Boston blew an 11-point lead in the fourth quarter, with Tatum scoring only 15 points on 5-17 shooting in that meeting.
Derrick White scored 30 points and pulled down 7 rebounds to go with three blocked shots. Brown was close to a triple-double with 28 points, 8 rebounds, and 7 assists.
Then, it's the first games of a five-game road trip and a slate of teams with winning records, starting with the Cavs on March 5. Boston is 2-0 against Cleveland this season. However, the Cavs are about the hottest ticket around, going 21-5 since a loss on New Year's Day.
Tatum is averaging 26 points, 10 rebounds, and 4 assists in those two games.
On March 7, Boston heads to Denver for a rematch with the Nuggets, who defeated the Celtics 102-100 in January. Boston had their opportunities to win that game but struggled in the second half, scoring only 39 points.
Closing out the week, the Celtics head to Phoenix for the first meeting between the teams in 2023-24.
This upcoming stretch is a good measuring stick of how far this Boston team has come. Even better, the hope is (barring injury/other health issues) there won't be any load management issues because there is (at least) a day off between games. A full complement of starters is a plus, with the MVP antics of Tatum icing on the cake.
photo credit: Wikimedia Commons
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