Episode 995: Jayson Tatum Might Be Ready for an Insane Season

Tatum, first preseason game, didn't play in Cleveland.

On Saturday, he put up 23-5-4, a steal, only one turnover, 9-19 from the field, 4-10 from three.

What did you see from Jason Tatum that instills confidence in his ability to lead this team this season and be back to the first-team All-NBA Tatum that he was before the

injury? I talked about this in our postgame thing last night.

But, well, yeah, I talked about how, like, the fast break points were, like, his first eight points, I believe, were just super easy.

And I want to say that his catching, like, in terms of his threes, I believe he shot more or equal catch and shoot threes than he did, like, his own, like, self-created threes.

And I think it's been a long time since that's happened, right, where he's able to play more off the ball as far as a off-ball three-point shooter.

Him and Paul George in those roles are going to be crazy, but – Tatum got like three or four catch and shoot threes.

I know his first two were catch and shoot.

I know the one where Katie got the offensive rebound off the screen from Paul George was a catch and shoot.

I want to say there was one more.

So at least at least four out of his 10 threes were catch and shoot.

And I think with him just coming back and being more comfortable.

Getting your best player easy buckets is, like, something that should never happen in the NBA, where it's, like, there's so much attention on those guys.

You can get them dunks.

Like, I think he had three fast break dunks in this game off just, like, our steals and stuff.

Yeah.

Everything that I've talked about where the defense has been great for the last five years.

Last year, they were fourth in defensive rating.

But the one thing they have not done in all those seasons is take the ball away from the other team.

And it's hindered them in getting the easiest shots possible.

Now with Paul George, Mitchell Robinson, and all that stuff, you're able to create more turnovers.

This team should catapult from 28th in steals last year to at least the top half.

At least the top half.

Yeah.