Jayson Tatum is very very good at team defense

[Chris22]

I liked it when he blocked Dwight Howard's shot.

[Csfan1984]

He is showing some improvements still a ways to go

[Tr1boy]

Its crazy how his strength, explosivness has improved in a matter of months(off season). Also looks confident taking the 3

He is going to be a very good Celtic

[18isGREATERthan72]

I wouldn't peg him as a "very very good" team defender quite yet, but he definitely seems to be doing better than the average rookie on defense and I think that bodes well for his development.

I will say defensively he appears to be very active which I like... Once he gains more of that veteran savviness I am sure he will have even better instincts for things like blocks and steals.  I see him being great for switching being able to guard 1-5 (against small ball lineups) once he gains some strength and also being very disruptive with his length and being able to get into passing lanes.

[vjcsmoke]

Let's see against the Knicks - Jayson Tatum 4 steals 2 blocks.  One of our best defenders on the floor.  He bothers people's shot with that length and he gets in the right position to pick off passes.  What's not to like?

I really was not expecting Tatum to be so solid defensively.  His main selling point had been based on his offense!

Oh and he chipped in there too 22 points, 4/6 from 3pt land.  If Tatum produces those numbers on a nightly basis, he is EASILY in the ROTY award conversation!!

[Ilikesports17]

I wouldn't peg him as a "very very good" team defender quite yet, but he definitely seems to be doing better than the average rookie on defense and I think that bodes well for his development.

I will say defensively he appears to be very active which I like... Once he gains more of that veteran savviness I am sure he will have even better instincts for things like blocks and steals.  I see him being great for switching being able to guard 1-5 (against small ball lineups) once he gains some strength and also being very disruptive with his length and being able to get into passing lanes.

maybe "very very good" for a rookie.

[crimson_stallion]

Let's see against the Knicks - Jayson Tatum 4 steals 2 blocks.  One of our best defenders on the floor.  He bothers people's shot with that length and he gets in the right position to pick off passes.  What's not to like?

I really was not expecting Tatum to be so solid defensively.  His main selling point had been based on his offense!

Oh and he chipped in there too 22 points, 4/6 from 3pt land.  If Tatum produces those numbers on a nightly basis, he is EASILY in the ROTY award conversation!!

I always thought the defensive concerns were way overblown.

Tatum has a 7'0" wingspan and an 8'10" standing reach - while his head might only stand 6'8" off the ground, he's length and reach comparable to Al Horford, who has shown he can defend multiple positions very well for years.

In addition to that Tatum seems to have high basketball IQ, great worth ethic and a strong motor - as well as a genuine team-first attitude.

Tatum lacks Horford's physical strength, but that's something you expect him to add in time - just look at Dwigtht and Anthony Davis as draftees, and then look at their physiques 3 years later.  With muscle added, I can't see any reason why he should have any issues being a quality defender at the NBA level.

[Neurotic Guy]

In his first 4 games alone, Tatum looks to be ahead of any rookie I've seen on this team since Larry Bird, and Bird was 23 as a rookie.  Pierce went for 16/6 his rookie year (at 21) and I don't recall him being as polished all around as our 19 yo Tatum.

Hopefully not over-hyping this kid - he just seems to do everything with poise, confidence and competence.  Looks leaps and bounds better than Jaylen looked a year ago. 
 

[TheSundanceKid]

He’s not that good at defense. He’s just not completely lost like a lot of rookies are, which is a big plus. But as far as being “very, very good at team defense” is just wrong. He’s solid at team defense for a rookie.

He has his opinion. You have yours. But until we see actual stats on how well Tatum is performing on individual and team defense both are meaningless.

I wouldn't say they are meaningless. The human eye has noticed more that stats have produced to date. Saying "he has his opinion, you have yours" is the ultimate way to stifle debate, it's an attempt to stop people from seeing other people's viewpoints. Not cool.

[mctyson]

In his first 4 games alone, Tatum looks to be ahead of any rookie I've seen on this team since Larry Bird, and Bird was 23 as a rookie.  Pierce went for 16/6 his rookie year (at 21) and I don't recall him being as polished all around as our 19 yo Tatum.

Hopefully not over-hyping this kid - he just seems to do everything with poise, confidence and competence.  Looks leaps and bounds better than Jaylen looked a year ago. 
 

I don't think you are over-hyping him.  He is as NBA-ready as a rookie can possibly be.  I think the detractors of him would say that his ceiling is lower than those drafted ahead of him, in that what we are seeing from Tatum now is what about we will see in 5 years as well.

[PhoSita]

Considering that Tatum appears to have the Tobias Harris / Harrison Barnes / Rudy Gay / Carmelo Anthony / Jabari Parker package on offense, if he can do what many of those guys have not done and consistently show focus & effort on defense, he will be quite valuable.

[saltlover]

The thing I’ve liked about Tatum since watching some of him at Duke is his court awareness/vision.  The opening putback slam last night was an example — he started crashing the boards the instant Baynes put up the shot, and had the perfect angle/timing on his leap.  That will help him on defense too.  He’ll have his share of moments where another player beats him one-on-one due to superior ability, strength, or athleticism, as Tatum is only 19.  But he’ll also have those moments where he anticipates a pass, or rotates quickly for a block, because he sees it coming and gets that extra half-step needed to make a play.  Or even just forces a pass because he doesn’t get out of position on defense, and his length encourages his man to move the ball instead of taking a shot.

I was excited to draft him, but he’s really exceeded my expectations as to how quickly he’d able to positively contribute.  I’m sure there will be some rough patches as teams figure out some of his weaknesses, and as the long season tests his endurance, but I’m beyond impressed through four games.

[Smitty77]

I liked it when he blocked Dwight Howard's shot.

Can you provide me with a link to a video of that block please?

Thanks,

Smitty77

[Monkhouse]

Did Tatum grow an inch or am I just tripping?

[saltlover]

Did Tatum grow an inch or am I just tripping?

Is it a mutually exclusive question?