Boston Celtics star Jayson Tatum has come out of the gates hot and is already on track to having a campaign to remember. Tatum has been at the forefront of Boston’s 10-3 start, averaging 32.3 points, 7.2 rebounds, and 4.1 assists on 50.0 percent shooting from the field and 38.3 percent from beyond the arc.
On Saturday, Boston defeated the Detroit Pistons 117-108 in a game where the Celtics star seemed almost unstoppable, erupting for 43 points. After the game, when asked whether or not he felt like he was the MVP at this early point of the season, the 24-year-old did not hold back.
“I mean, I think I am,” Tatum told Yahoo Sports. “It’s a long season. Every time I step on the floor, I feel like I’m the best player. But it’s a lot of talented guys in this League – It’s (MVP) measured by team success. We have 69 games left. The key is staying healthy, keep playing the way we’re playing and see what happens.”
Boston is currently second in the Eastern Conference, only trailing Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Milwaukee Bucks. Tatum is a clear MVP candidate, but if the Celtics can remain one of the top teams in the League as the season goes on, he will have a case to be the clear-cut favorite.
Winning such an accolade has undoubtedly been one of his dreams since he was a kid, he clarified on Saturday; however, the goal of winning a championship is what’s most important to him right now.
“As a kid, was one of my dreams winning MVP? Sure,” Tatum said. “If it happened, it would be a dream come true. But it wasn’t, like, ‘Come back, win MVP.’ It’s like, ‘Come back, get to the championship.’”
