Jayson Tatum has long been praised as the future star of the NBA. The Boston Celtics’ standout possesses a well-rounded skill set in both offense and defense, with his playing style reminiscent of the late legend Kobe Bryant.
If we were to talk about Tatum’s weaknesses, it would be his reliance on pull-up three-point shots. Any Celtics fan would have to admit that watching Tatum take pull-up shots is like riding a roller coaster. Sometimes it’s a moment of stardom, but it also often results in turnovers.
The good news for Celtics fans is that Tatum’s effectiveness in pull-up shots has significantly improved. All thanks to a small change made by Tatum’s personal coach, Drew Hanlen.
Drew Hanlen adjusted Jayson Tatum’s form on his pull-up three-point shot.
“Hanlen mentioned changing Tatum’s shooting form during Christmas after noticing a mistake causing him to continuously miss. ‘He was jumping too high when shooting. We’ve lowered it to normal levels,’ Hanlen tweeted on X.”
Although the change was so subtle that it was barely noticeable, the truth is that Tatum has shot much better after Hanlen’s suggestion.
Jayson Tatum’s pull-up three-point shot is crucial to the success of the Celtics.
Tatum heavily relies on his pull-up shots, and the Celtics heavily rely on Tatum in tough times. Therefore, the 26-year-old star’s improvement in shooting efficiency is very promising news for the TD Garden team.
With 5.9 pull-up attempts per game, Tatum ranks 5th in the league in this statistic. His accuracy on pull-up three-pointers has always been high throughout his career. In 2020, during the bubble games, Tatum achieved a shooting percentage of 40.4%. However, it has declined in the following years. Tatum only reached 29.1% last season, disappointing Celtics fans as they witnessed Tatum continuously miss shots towards the end of games.
However, Hanlen’s changes have significantly improved Tatum’s performance, thereby elevating the team’s offensive prowess. Before Christmas, the Celtics ranked 3rd in offensive efficiency in the NBA. But since Hanlen’s intervention, they’ve been number 1.
Tatum is often the go-to option for passes when the Celtics face difficulties. During those times, Tatum always tries to utilize his most confident technique, the pull-up three-pointer. However, its efficiency hasn’t been high, and after Hanlen’s advice, Tatum seems to have found the optimal shooting form for himself. This is a pivotal change for the Celtics as they enter the playoffs and aim to compete for the championship.