For some, what’s going on with Jayson Tatum these days was a forgone conclusion, a future reality from the day he arrived in Boston as the third overall pick in the 2017 NBA Draft.
Early on the forward from Duke certainly displayed flashes of some special skills.
Green Teamer optimists saw the next Paul Pierce from the second he put on his first Celtics jersey, destined to become a legendary story for the most storied franchise in basketball built on the backs of so many past legends.
But for somewhat more objective others, there has been doubt created by the natural ups and downs of the last five years, the ebbs and flows in the roster talent around Tatum and the results on the court for the Boston squad.
Did Tatum have a killer instinct?
Is Tatum truly worthy of the superstar expectations and the future-MVP hype?
Could Tatum be the best player on a team worthy of winning an NBA title?
Would Tatum be able to mesh with fellow young star Jaylen Brown in a way that would lift Boston back to among the elite teams in the league?
All those questions peaked earlier this season when the Celtics struggled out of the gates under first-year head coach Ime Udoka. Tatum’s shooting was off. Boston was closer to being a lottery team than a title contender.
It was looking like a crossroads was coming for both Tatum and the core of the Celtics.
Well, looks can apparently be deceiving.
Now, all those questions have faded into the shadow of Tatum’s development and the Celtics’ midseason run toward being, at least according to the computers over at FiveThirtyEight.com, the favorite to win the NBA title.
Oh, and Tatum, all he’s done is take that clear, final, obvious step into the world of NBA superstars.
Sunday’s 54-point effort to dismiss Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving and the still-not-good Nets was just the latest for Tatum’s growing legend, tying Larry Bird for the most 50-point games in Celtics history.
That comes on the heels of a 37-point effort to send budding star Ja Morant and the upstart Grizzlies back west after a loss in Boston.
Nearly every challenge that’s come Tatum’s way this calendar year has been answered in elite fashion. And by extension the Celtics have turned around what was once a lost, dismal season.
Tatum is now clearly entrenched among the best players in the game, a top-10 scorer capable of carrying a team on a nightly basis and doing even more than that in matchups with opposing stars.
Forget the All-NBA disappointment of a year ago or the $30 million that went down the drain with it.
Forget the too-early hype Tatum got from Day 1 in Boston, a city that has plenty of experience with elite basketball players and superstar athletes in all four major sports.
Forget that all now and take it from a one-time Tatum doubter: Jayson Tatum is indeed a superstar in the world of the NBA. He’s a truly elite talent and is only getting better as he reaches his prime at the still-young age of barely 24.
Now there is but just one step left in Tatum’s career arc. And if you ask the likes of James Harden and Russell Westbrook, it’s the toughest step yet.
Yes, Tatum is a superstar. Yes, his future is filled with All-Star games, limitless statistical standout performances and records.
But until his resume includes an NBA title, he won’t truly be on the level of Larry Legend, the Truth or so many other Celtics greats.
Of course there is still plenty of time for that. We should all just probably sit back and enjoy the journey to the promised land.
Take it from me, a longtime doubter who’s now a newly-converted Jayson Tatum believer!
