A new year, a new shot for Boston Celtics star Jayson Tatum. As the potential MVP of the upcoming season, Tatum has changed an essential element of his game. ESPN’s Tim Legler broke down Tatum’s improved shooting motion on NBA Today this week, and what it looked like last season. Judging by the preseason preview, his shot is looking pretty lethal.
Tim Legler Breaks Down Jayson Tatum’s Jump Shot
Is Jayson Tatum About to be Even More Dangerous?
NBA analyst Tim Legler was on hand on NBA Today to break down the Celtics star’s revised three-point shot. Legler, a former NBA shotmaker himself, knows a thing or two about shooting three-pointers in the league, considering he shot above 50% (52%, 52.2%) in two consecutive seasons from 1994-1996. Legler led the league in three-point shooting in the 1995-96 season. Tatum has always been a very good three-point shooter. His career average is 37.5%, and last year, in the Celtics championship season, he went 37.6% in the regular season.
However, his playoff percentage dipped to 28.3%. So, this offseason, the five-time NBA All-Star worked on revising his shooting motion. If the preseason indicated that his work is reaping benefits, it can only mean one thing: Tatum was already dangerous, but now, he’s even more dangerous.
During the segment on NBA Today, Legler explained what he saw from Tatum’s shot that needed tweaking.
“…he’s trying to increase his efficiency from shooting from long distance, and what he’s trying to do is eliminate a little bit of this hitch, and you see how slow the release was before, he drops it down to his waste, that’s what we call by the hitch, he doesn’t go directly chest to the release point. Maybe that is an area of improvement for Jayson Tatum.”
Legler further explained in outstanding detail what he meant by a “hitch” in relation to Tatum’s shooting motion. Essentially, Tatum has changed the start and end points of the ball once he has it in his hand and is about to attempt a shot. In the preseason, Tatum shot 38.9% from three, an immense jump from at least last season’s playoffs. This new upgrade in his game could potentially make Tatum’s offensive prowess more dangerous than ever.
Simply Wanting to Be Better
Now, it’s probably safe to assume that sans a new shooting form, Tatum and friends would still have a great season putting up points and winning games. Could they even repeat as champions without his offseason adjustments? Yes, very likely. But the thing about Tatum is that he saw a part of his game that could elevate, and he made it a point to elevate it. This level of thinking would only make his basketball hero and mentor, Kobe Bryant, proud. Tatum idolized Bryant, and he modeled his game after the Lakers champion. What made Kobe legendary was that he elevated anything he saw fit to elevate in his game. Why? To be better than everyone else, of course.
Tatum just won a championship and a gold medal, and his team is projected to repeat. He’s already a great player—a future Hall of Famer. Yet, according to his standards, improving his shot was still a necessary course of action. His dedication will not only upgrade his game but also Boston‘s as they look to dominate this season, much like last.
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