For years people within the NBA have spoken about Jayson Tatum's potential.
People with far greater knowledge of basketball than you and I have assured the rest of us that Tatum would be a superstar in the league for seasons to come.
And although Tatum flashed glimpses of that potential, he'd never really done it at the consistent and high level he's doing it at this season, however.
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But what makes a player a superstar in the NBA? Is there one determining factor that separates stars from superstars, or is there a number of elements in the equation?
How do we define 'being a superstar'?
Multiple All-Star selections? Leading scorer? First Team All-NBA? Or is it leading your team to deep playoff runs and championships?
You can debate the qualities and definition of a superstar all you want - I'm sure if you ask ten different people you'd get ten different definitions - but one thing that is no longer deniable is that Tatum has elevated his game to elite status in the league.
Let's take a look at some of those categories and see Tatum's progress in each one.
All-Star selections
Since being selected by the Celtics with the third pick in the 2017 NBA draft, Tatum has been named to three NBA All-Star teams in just five years in the league.
That's a pretty good ratio for anyone, I'd say.
Tatum had a quieter game in 2022 but punctuated his appearance in the 2021 game with 21 points, seven assists and four steals in the annual exhibition game.
Scoring
Tatum has taken on a bigger role and increased his scoring output in each of his five NBA seasons.
Last season may be looked at as his breakout season in the NBA.
Tatum produced at an All-NBA level (even though he didn't make one of the All-NBA teams at season's end) and averaged a career-high in points, rebounds, and assists with 26.4, 7.4, and 4.3 respectively.
He also became the only player in NBA history to score 50 plus points more than once in the regular season, 50 plus points in a Play-In game, and 50 plus points in the playoffs.
It's hard to believe that for a guy who's still just 19....Tatum actually just turned 24 in early March.
Take a look at some of his scoring numbers prior to turning 24 to see how he ranks against other names prior to turning 24.
- Tatum's 8,224 career points (including postseason) are the sixth-most in NBA history by an under-24 player. The five ahead of him are all current or future Hall of Famers: LeBron James, Kevin Durant, Kobe Bryant, Carmelo Anthony and Tracy McGrady.
- Tatum made 764 3-pointers before his 24th birthday, the most in NBA history.
So far this season, Tatum is averaging 27.1 points per game on decent shooting numbers of 45 percent from the field, 35 percent from long-range and 86 percent from the charity stripe.
When his team has needed him the most in games this season, he's been that guy.
In early March, in a game against the Brooklyn Nets and Kevin Durant, Tatum erupted for 54-points on 16-of-30 shooting from the field.
54 points from our @gatorade Player of the Game 🔥 pic.twitter.com/8z1tD1xWbE
— Boston Celtics (@celtics) March 6, 2022
Tatum was deep in his bag during the game, going at the Nets' defense from deep, from mid-range and attacking the rim as well.
“He’s been doing this his whole life, man. Ever since he got here,” said teammate Marcus Smart. “He’s reading the game the right way. He’s letting the game come to him and he’s picking his spots, doing what he does.
"So for us and for Jayson, his growth is very, very important, and he’s been showing not just himself, but also us and everybody in the world that he knows what he wants to work on, and he’s doing it. He’s playing the game a lot smarter and it’s showing.”
That showing was the fourth 50-point game of Tatum’s career, tying him with Celtics icon Larry Bird for the most in franchise history.
In March alone, Tatum is putting some ridiculous numbers - 33.7 points (53.9 percent from the field, 46.6 percent from behind the arc and 91 percent from the line), 6.8 rebounds and 4.8 assists per night. If he isn't in the top five for MVP this season then I have to question whether you really watch basketball.
Leadership
Both the Celtics and Tatum kind of started slow this season.
On January 21 the Celtics were under .500 at 23-24 and many were calling for the team to trade one of Tatum and Jaylen Brown.
Since Jan. 21 Boston is 27-5 and 15-2 against teams that are currently in the playoffs/Play-In tournament seeds - the two losses coming at the hands of Dallas and Toronto.
Celtics through 41 games: 20-21 (.486 win pct)
— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) March 24, 2022
Thursday: 46-28 (.622 win pct)
The Celtics are on pace to become the 3rd team in league history to be under .500 exactly halfway through the season and finish with a .600+ win percentage. pic.twitter.com/nzANBTwLtF
The C's have the best defensive rating in the league in this timespan as well - and are No. 1 in the league overall.
While it's been a team effort, Tatum has played a big part with his ability to switch, guard on the perimeter, and even down in the paint if required.
Playoff runs + Championships
So far in his career, Tatum has been to two Eastern Conference Finals with Boston, but reaching - and winning - a Finals series, well, that's the one that will cement Tatum's status as one of the NBA's elite superstars.
When the playoffs begin we'll see if Tatum can lead the Celtics when it matters most. That will truly define whether he has reached superstar status.
