Jayson Tatum has exceeded expectations in his rookie season.
The 19-year-old forward has been a mainstay in the Boston Celtics’ starting lineup throughout the season, and he’s become one of the leading contenders for the NBA Rookie of the Year Award. Through 33 games, Tatum is averaging 13.8 points and 5.7 rebounds per contest.
While Tatum seemingly has impressed in all facets of the game, his stellar 3-point shooting has been the biggest surprise. After being a 34 percent shooter from beyond the arc in his freshman campaign at Duke, Tatum currently boasts the league’s highest 3-point percentage with a 51.5-percent clip.
So how did Tatum iron out this major kink in his game? There isn’t an exact science, but he explained his training process during a Wednesday “SportsCenter” appearance on ESPN.
“I never would have thought I shot 52 percent this year, but that was one of the knocks on my game coming to the draft — shooting the three,” Tatum said. “So my trainer Drew (Hanlen) and I this summer, we shot 250 threes a day just to get ready for the draft and expand my game.”
Well, the tireless shooting clearly has paid off, and it looks like the C’s struck a gold mine with their top draft pick this year.
