Jayson Tatum was keen on picking Chris Paul’s brain during All-Star weekend after the veteran point guard shut him down during a game between the Boston Celtics and the Oklahoma City Thunder earlier this month.
The 6ft Paul, who is eight inches shorter than Tatum, was able to effectively limit the Celtics forward’s scoring on the night and stats show that Tatum was 2-4 when being guarded by the 34-year-old.
Tatum played in his first All-Star game this past weekend and got to spend time with some of the biggest names in today’s game, including Paul, whom he says taught him a few things. The players were described as being “animated” during a discussion at practice ahead of Sunday’s game and Paul would walk Tatum through the methods he used to defend the taller, faster forward.
Paul is one of the most intelligent players in the NBA and was able to prevent Tatum from posting up when his team faced the Celtics. Boston went on to win 112-111, however.
Speaking to NBC Sports Boston after the All-Star game, Tatum revealed having picked up tips from some of the All-Star veterans.
“It’s real cool, especially coming from Chris,” he said (h/t Yahoo Sports). “He’s been a really good player for a really long time; I’m trying to be like that, too.”
“He didn’t show me everything. But he showed me a couple things,” he said with a grin. “I’m gonna try and use that next time we play.”
Tatum is having an incredible season with the Celtics, averaging 22.4 points, 6.9 rebounds and 2.9 assists per game. The 21-year-old shooting 44.3 percent from the field and 38.2 percent from beyond the arc, helping Boston to a 38-16 record in the Eastern Conference, where they’re third.
