Eddie House: NBA ‘should be afraid’ of this version of Tatum originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston
The Boston Celtics entered the All-Star break with a 116-103 win over the San Antonio Spurs on Wednesday night. During the victory, C’s superstar Jayson Tatum showed why he was chosen as an All-Star Game starter for the fifth consecutive year.
Fresh off a 40-point performance vs. the New York Knicks and a 33-point outburst vs. the Miami Heat, Tatum stayed hot with a game-high 32 points against the Spurs. He shot 12-of-25 from the floor while adding 14 rebounds and seven assists.
Former Celtics guard Eddie House has seen a different version of Tatum during his torrid stretch — a version the rest of the NBA should fear.
“The last couple games and then this game, I’m looking at Jayson Tatum in a different light,” the 2008 NBA champion said on Celtics Postgame Live. “Because everybody looks at him as one of those players that you say, ‘Oh, he’s a star player, but does he have the dog in him?’
“The last couple games — New York, Miami — there were some quotes that he was saying, and I was being a lip reader, I saw what he said. He’s in a different mode right now. This is a Jayson Tatum that I think the league should be afraid of. They should be scared of this type of Jayson Tatum.”
Tatum is averaging 35.0 points, 9.3 rebounds, and 4.3 assists over his last three games while shooting 49.4 percent from the field (37.5 percent from 3-point range) in that span. The 26-year-old is an underdog to take home his first NBA MVP award, but he’ll remain in the conversation for the honor if he can keep this up over the final two months of the season.
“Not only is the game slowing down because he’s played so many games, but he feels like he’s that dude,” House added. “When you feel like you’re that dude and you get a taste of it, most of the time there’s no stopping that. You know what I mean? Once you get a feel, a taste of it — I’m trying to tell you, he’s looking totally different right now. …
“I’m telling you, he’s putting the league on notice. I think he’s actually — to be honest with you, I think he’s making a conscious effort to try to go for the MVP.”
The Celtics will enter the All-Star break on a three-game win streak with seven wins over their last eight games. With Tatum playing at an MVP level, they’ve snapped out of a month-long funk and have looked more like their championship selves.
“We finished the first half of the season strong,” Tatum told NBC Sports Boston’s Abby Chin after Wednesday’s game. “There was some ups and downs, which is part of it. But we just kept responding and we closed off the last little stretch really well. Get a much-needed, deserved break and come back ready, ’cause it’s go-time.”
Tatum and Jaylen Brown will represent the Celtics in the All-Star Game this Sunday in San Francisco. Boston enters the break with a 39-16 record and will resume its title defense Feb. 20 against the Philadelphia 76ers.
