The case for Tatum being All-NBA defender by reddit user: u/OverallPrettyGood

[Monkhouse]

If you look at the numbers, it's plain that Tatum is having a pretty good season. Advanced stats love him - he rates 2nd in the league overall in defensive RPM and trails only Giannis Antetokounmpo and Anthony Davis in dPIPM among forwards with >1,000 minutes played this season. The Celtics' defense is 8.4 points better per 100 with Tatum on the court, and the team rates 3rd in the NBA in defensive rating, despite injuries to Marcus Smart and losing Al Horford this offseason.

So, what exactly has Tatum been doing so right?

Turnovers Generating Fast Breaks

One of Tatum's biggest strengths defensively is his ability to quickly change possession and initiate offense. The Celtics rank top 10 this season in both fast-break points and points off TOs, with roughly half those points coming from Tatum and Brown. Tatum's defensive play is responsible for initiating a large number of the team's fast breaks, thanks largely to his quick hands and elite vision on passing lanes.

Tatum has proven to be a master reader of passes defensively, and frequently shoots the gap to make a momentum-changing steal. You might remember his clutch read on this late-game tip-off against Golden State, which nicely showcased his incredible anticipation. While that may have been one of the most high-stakes examples, reading where the ball is going is an enormous part of Tatum's game. This steal and slam against the Cavs was a perfect microcosm of Tatum's defense. He sags off his man, goading the ball-handler into making a pass when he cuts back up to the top. When that happens, Tatum is already in full stride, there to make the steal and get a quick two points.

To me, what is particularly impressive about Tatum's defensive game is what I like to call his "inertia." When he makes a big defensive play, he is able to seamlessly transition from playing defense to offense - often leading to points for his team. Tatum has a special ability to make big defensive plays and keep his momentum going into offense without skipping a beat. Here, for example, he was able to pick off an outlet pass and get the ball up to his teammates for an open three in a matter of only a few seconds. No hesitation, no delay - just good defense creating good offense.

Using Length to Contest Shots

Perhaps Tatum's biggest area of growth this season has been his ability to contest and alter shots. Tatum currently boasts a career-best 37.6% defensive field goal percentage, holding opponents to 6.9% below their averages on nearly 10 defended shots per game. He has also found himself in elite company as a shot-blocker, ranking third in block% among SFs with at least 1,000 minutes this season.

Tatum's effectiveness as a shot-contester is not limited to one area of the floor. He's holding opponents to below their averages from every segment of the floor, and is defending an average of 3.0 shots per game in the post in addition to a number of shots on the perimeter.

I posted a link to his post, but I would recommend reading it.

I really enjoyed the work and research OP put into it, and I think a lot of that details why Tatum has improved drastically as a two-way player.

https://www.reddit.com/r/nba/comments/ejji7r/oc_this_season_jayson_tatum_said_that_his_goal/

[liam]

If you look at the numbers, it's plain that Tatum is having a pretty good season. Advanced stats love him - he rates 2nd in the league overall in defensive RPM and trails only Giannis Antetokounmpo and Anthony Davis in dPIPM among forwards with >1,000 minutes played this season. The Celtics' defense is 8.4 points better per 100 with Tatum on the court, and the team rates 3rd in the NBA in defensive rating, despite injuries to Marcus Smart and losing Al Horford this offseason.

So, what exactly has Tatum been doing so right?

Turnovers Generating Fast Breaks

One of Tatum's biggest strengths defensively is his ability to quickly change possession and initiate offense. The Celtics rank top 10 this season in both fast-break points and points off TOs, with roughly half those points coming from Tatum and Brown. Tatum's defensive play is responsible for initiating a large number of the team's fast breaks, thanks largely to his quick hands and elite vision on passing lanes.

Tatum has proven to be a master reader of passes defensively, and frequently shoots the gap to make a momentum-changing steal. You might remember his clutch read on this late-game tip-off against Golden State, which nicely showcased his incredible anticipation. While that may have been one of the most high-stakes examples, reading where the ball is going is an enormous part of Tatum's game. This steal and slam against the Cavs was a perfect microcosm of Tatum's defense. He sags off his man, goading the ball-handler into making a pass when he cuts back up to the top. When that happens, Tatum is already in full stride, there to make the steal and get a quick two points.

To me, what is particularly impressive about Tatum's defensive game is what I like to call his "inertia." When he makes a big defensive play, he is able to seamlessly transition from playing defense to offense - often leading to points for his team. Tatum has a special ability to make big defensive plays and keep his momentum going into offense without skipping a beat. Here, for example, he was able to pick off an outlet pass and get the ball up to his teammates for an open three in a matter of only a few seconds. No hesitation, no delay - just good defense creating good offense.

Using Length to Contest Shots

Perhaps Tatum's biggest area of growth this season has been his ability to contest and alter shots. Tatum currently boasts a career-best 37.6% defensive field goal percentage, holding opponents to 6.9% below their averages on nearly 10 defended shots per game. [/b]He has also found himself in elite company as a shot-blocker, ranking third in block% among SFs with at least 1,000 minutes this season.

[/b]

Tatum's effectiveness as a shot-contester is not limited to one area of the floor. He's holding opponents to below their averages from every segment of the floor, and is defending an average of 3.0 shots per game in the post in addition to a number of shots on the perimeter.

I posted a link to his post, but I would recommend reading it.

I really enjoyed the work and research OP put into it, and I think a lot of that details why Tatum has improved drastically as a two-way player.

https://www.reddit.com/r/nba/comments/ejji7r/oc_this_season_jayson_tatum_said_that_his_goal/

Good post, thanks. TP

[Who]

Yeah TP, thanks for posting.