Will Celtics’ Jayson Tatum average north of 5 assists this season? One analyst thinks so
By the end of the Boston Celtics’ 2021-22 NBA season, superstar forward Jayson Tatum had raised his assist average to 4.4 per game, a career high. Might he continue augmenting that as the Celtics lean into an offensive identity predicated on ball movement at every position?
In the mind of Bleacher Report’s Andy Bailey, who predicts the St. Louis native will average over 5 assists per contest in Boston’s 2022-23 campaign.
“During the (2022) postseason, Jayson Tatum had the ball in his hands even more, particularly at the start of possessions, and he averaged 6.2 assists through those 24 games,” recounts the B/R analyst.
“One of the team’s strengths this season should be the ability to keep opposing defenses guessing,” continues Bailey. “When Smart, Brogdon, Al Horford, and Tatum are all on the floor, initiation could come from just about anywhere.”
Celtics Lab 149: On Jayson Tatum’s 2023 MVP in NBA 2K23’s official simulation, Marcus Smart’s DPOY repeat case and more with Ronnie 2K https://t.co/B9zaeFMdxB
— The Celtics Wire (@TheCelticsWire) October 23, 2022
“Allowing Tatum to continue to operate as he did in the playoffs adds to that,” he closes, and while we think it is certainly in the realm of possibility, the early results this season have been lower than usual in terms of assists for the Duke alum.
Given he’d likely be on the cusp of his first real MVP bid, we hope Bailey nails this prediction, but in what has been a small sample so far, it seems as if it will be an uphill battle to come to fruition.
Listen to the “Celtics Lab” podcast on:
Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3zBKQY6
Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3GfUPFi
YouTube: https://bit.ly/3F9DvjQ
Related
How can new Boston Celtics point guard Malcolm Brogdon help the team this season?
How will the East standings shake out by the end of the 2022-23 season?
What are the Boston Celtics' and Golden State Warriors' title outlooks?
The Boston Celtics are taking ball movement to a new level with Malcolm Brogdon on the team
Is star Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum taking another leap?
Celtics Lab 148: Getting to know Paolo Banchero and other high-impact 2022-23 rookies with Cody Taylor
List
Celtics land six players in Washington Post's top 100 for 2022-23
List
NBA, Celtics Twitter react to Boston's 126-120 grinding victory over Orlando
List
Two Boston Celtics big men make HoopsHype's top 2023 free agents
List
Celtics, NBA Twitter react to Boston's 111-104 road win over the Miami Heat
