Jayson Tatum’s 3-point capturing fell off a cliff towards the top of the 2023-24 season. The three-time All-NBA First Crew ahead took a complete of 175 3-point pictures between the beginning of April and the top of the postseason in June. He averaged 28.7% throughout that timeframe.
At Media Day, the NBA champion and two-time Olympic gold medalist confirmed that he’s been working to repair his soar shot.
“Been working with my coach Drew (Hanlen) so much, lately in the previous few weeks,” Tatum stated. “Choose-up factors, hand placement, getting decrease, retaining my shoulders ahead and issues like that…There have been some issues I may have fastened, however within the midst of the playoffs, making an attempt to handle you relaxation, it’s slightly more durable. I used to be nonetheless taking part in nicely. I simply wasn’t capturing the ball in addition to I might have favored. And clearly, we have been successful. So it wasn’t the time or the place to strive to sort things in that second.”
Tatum’s observe about engaged on his shoulder positioning is fascinating. Final season, Donte DiVincenzo was among the many breakout three-point shooters within the NBA. He had joined the New York Knicks after spending a yr with Steph Curry on the Golden State Warriors.
Throughout an interview with The Athletic’s Fred Katz, DiVincenzo, who shot 40.1% from deep for the season, credited a lesson he realized from watching Curry up shut throughout his time within the Bay Space.
“I used to suppose ft squared, shoulders squared, launch and every part needed to be aligned and every part,” DiVincenzo stated. “And I get he’s nearly an anomaly. However what’s a lot completely different is so long as his shoulders are good, he doesn’t care about anything.”
Tatum is a profession 37.5% shooter from 3-point vary. He has had some huge moments on the perimeter. For no matter motive, his shot deserted him in the course of the Celtics stretch run. Nonetheless, if he can choose up some nuggets of knowledge from Hanlen, he may very well be able to have a bounce-back season when it comes to capturing the ball.
“Total, I can nonetheless get higher,” Tatum stated in an interview with NBC Sports activities Boston. “You haven’t seen the most effective model of Jayson Tatum. And also you shouldn’t. I’m solely 26. I ought to proceed to maintain getting higher.”
It’s unlikely that Tatum has utterly overhauled his capturing mechanics. As an alternative, he’s doubtless carried out refined tweaks to enhance his total capturing movement and vitality distribution. Nonetheless, if he’s specializing in his shoulder alignment and has been watching movie of his personal mechanics and others across the league, he could also be able to have an enormous yr on the perimeter.
Nonetheless, it’s price remembering that Tatum is greater than only a shooter. He’s arguably some of the full gamers on this planet proper now. His being a dependable perimeter menace is essential, there’s little question about it, however it isn’t the one approach he can have an effect on a recreation. Nonetheless, if he can carry himself nearer to being a 40% shooter, the Celtics are going to be extremely robust to beat within the coming years.
