The preseason is all about finding optimism regarding longstanding problems. For Jayson Tatum in 2024, that meant one thing — fixing his pull-up shooting.
Tatum is as well-rounded of a player as there is in the league. He plays great defense, guarding multiple positions. He's a terrific rebounder. He has grown as a facilitator and is unselfish in that regard. And he's a relative ironman.
The one flaw in his game has been his pull-up shooting. He shot a dreadful 27.4 percent from 3 in the 2024 NBA Playoffs on pull-up 3s, and his 17-of-49 shooting on game-deciding shots was largely due to bricks on those types of attempts.
This video shows every shot from Jayson Tatum to tie or take the lead with less than 24 seconds left in the 4th quarter or overtime.
— Ian Inangelo (@iinangelo) September 10, 2024
🎥: @pitlessball pic.twitter.com/Zqu6EoP2Ga
Tatum's jumper looked even wonkier during the Olympics, where he went 0-of-16 on jump shots. That shaky jump shot is the biggest thing holding him back in the MVP discussions and the Achilles heel of the Celtics that could show up in the playoffs.
Tatum looks like he's fixed that shot, which will make Boston even tougher to beat this year if the improvement holds.
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Jayson Tatum shooting form, explained
Pull-up shooting is a huge component of Tatum's game, which is why it is so vital for him to fix it.
Tatum's 5.6 pull-up 3s per game were the seventh-highest total in the league last season and served as a bellwether for Boston's success. In wins, he shot 36.6 percent on those shots. In losses, that number went down to 27.7 percent.
Tatum has tried to make changes to his form before. After starting last year in a shooting slump, he worked with long-time trainer Drew Hanlen, lowering his shot pocket drastically. That did improve his accuracy for a few months, but Tatum's shot reverted and was at its worst in the postseason.
Tatum realized there was a problem in his form during last year's playoffs, but he noted that "in the midst of the playoffs, trying to manage your rest, it’s a little tough [to fix]."
"I’m still playing well, just wasn’t shooting the ball as well as I would’ve liked," he continued. "It wasn’t the time or place to try to fix things.”
This time around, the changes that Tatum and Hanlen have made are much more subtle. His shot does look a little bit smoother and faster.
"Been working with my trainer Drew a lot recently in the last few weeks," Tatum told reporters during Celtics media day. "A few mechanical things, pick-up points, hand placement, getting lower, keeping my shoulders forward and things like that."
5/27/24 vs. 9/25/24 https://t.co/1otykBry2Z pic.twitter.com/tcQxvrNGjk
— Pull up shoot (@NElGHT_) September 25, 2024
POSITIONAL RANKINGS: PG | SG | SF | PF | C
Preseason results should be taken with a huge grain of salt, but Tatum's shot has looked better thus far. He hit a 3 in transition in the team's first game against the Nuggets, rising off a full sprint and rattling one home. He drained another off a step-back early in the clock, showing he's willing to pull the trigger whenever defenses sag off him.
JT knocks down the step-back 3... looking sharp early in Abu Dhabi 🔥 #NBAinAbuDhabi
— NBA (@NBA) October 4, 2024
BOS-DEN on NBA TV
📲 https://t.co/HjGKkAYEoT pic.twitter.com/ArKh6lfSRX
If Tatum is hitting that shot, then it will make him truly unguardable.
Tatum is already a dynamite finisher at the rim and has been top 10 in total points in each of the past four seasons. He has hit the 3 extremely well before, connecting on a career-high 43.4 percent from deep as a rookie. But he's been streaky throughout his career, and he'll have to prove it for the duration of the year.
If he can, then it will give Tatum the skillset that he needs to win MVP and a second ring.
