Jayson Tatum has been named the Eastern Conference Player of the Week. The Boston Celtics forward has been playing at an elite level to begin the season and has helped guide the franchise to a 4-0 record between October 26 and Nov. 1. Along the way, Boston secured wins over the Chicago Bulls (twice), Brooklyn Nets and Orlando Magic.
An interesting wrinkle to Tatum's stellar week has been how frequently he's gotten to the free-throw line. Over the opening six games of the season, he's averaged a career-high 10.2 attempts from the charity stripe, in large part due to his willingness to attack the basket and draw contact.
During the week between Oct. 26 and Nov. 1, Tatum has averaged 30.3 points, 5.8 rebounds, and 7 assists. He's shot the rock at a 44.7
percent clip from the field and an 83.6 percent clip from the free-throw line. His perimeter shooting has struggled to start the season; however, there's no reason to believe those struggles will be long-lived.
This is Tatum's first season back since tearing his Achilles, and also his first season leading the Celtics without Jaylen Brown by his side. As such, his early performances are encouraging and could be an indicator of a potential MVP-level season to come. For now, though, Tatum will undoubtedly be focused on Boston's Nov. 2 matchup against the Houston Rockets, and continuing to help the Celtics put wins on the board and emerge as a threat in the Eastern Conference.
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This article originally appeared on Celtics Wire: Celtics' Jayson Tatum Crowned Eastern Conference Player of the Week
