Boston Celtics star Jayson Tatum once compared his playing style to Paul George, Kobe Bryant, and Tracy McGrady. This is not far-fetched as all four of them play small forward at a high level.
T-Mac is basically validating this. The Orlando Magic legend is having a hard time finding players he thought is similar to his playing style but for now, he is giving it to Tatum.
“I don’t see anybody,” said McGrady.
“KD’s older, like the younger…I don’t see anybody, bro. I don’t. I think it’s going to be hard to be that because I took midranges.”
He named Tatum as his success but he believes he is still lacking one thing, the mid-range game.
“Like if Tatum was a guy that took midranges, I would say Tatum. Not the fluidity, like how I moved. I was fast. But if he played that in between game like that, yeah.”
Jayson Tatum’s mid-range performance
T-Mac is on point with his observation of Tatum’s game. He does not attempt a lot of midrange shots which according to NBA.com accounts to just 10.1 percent of his total shots since entering the league in 2017.
In last season’s Eastern Conference semi-finals with the New York Knicks, this hole in his game showed as he shot just 1 of 8 in the midrange. It would have been a great alternative since he shot 5 of 20 from beyond the arc all-series long.
Credit: Frank Franklin II / AP Photos
It can also be said that the Celtics don’t want him shooting midrange shots since they are a team built to shoot from the 3-point line. They even set a record in April by shooting the most number of threes in a single season. They achieved this in the game against the Phoenix Suns.
Tatum will need the midrange in the future but for now, he is more focused on rehabbing his knee which he injured during the playoffs. It was previously reported that he will sit out the whole 2025-26 season.
For the latest Basketball Content
Make sure you are always updated on your favorite basketball players and teams. Follow us @HardwoodHeroics for the latest and trending news about NBA, college basketball, and more. Stay updated by reading more of our NBA articles by clicking here and college basketball by clicking here!
