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Boston Celtics Jayson Tatum at center? - Don't discount it

In a previous article about Boston Celtics Jayson Tatum's actual height, I used a group photo as partial evidence that he is in the vicinity of 6'9" tall. The photo shows Jayson's height close to that of Al Horford, who is generally listed at 6'10".


I fully admit that a group-photo-as-evidence is certainly flawed, I am not the only observer who feels Jayson should no longer be listed at 6'8". Even prior to being drafted at the age of 19 he was up to 6'8.25". Here is a comment via Reddit.Com, followed by a statement from MaxPreps Mitch Stevens:

He's (Tatum) listed at 6'8".... Yeah right. I saw a timeout where he and horford were next to each other. I think our 19 yo 3pt champ is every bit of 6'11.

Blessed with smooth guard skills and a feel for the game, his recent growth spurt has allowed him to post up. He has extremely long arms and often throws over the top of shorter defenders. He sees the entire court. He'll see it even better if one family doctor is correct. That doctor predicted Tatum won't stop growing until he reaches between 6-10 and 7-1. "I was measured recently at 6-8½," Tatum said. "I don't know where I'll stop. But I'll keep working on my game."

Using the eye test, many of us feel that Tatum is at least a solid 6'9" right now. And we know that the Celtics core consists of the quintet of Tatum, Gordon Hayward, Jaylen Brown, Kemba Walker and Marcus Smart. These five players will likely be on the floor at the end of close games, so the question is, who plays center? My vote goes to Tatum, and I am not alone on that.



After a sluggish start in World Cup exhibitions, Jayson came through in the first official opener, scoring 10 points, taking down four rebounds - and handing out two assists in the win over the Czech Republic. His rebounds and assists show an expansion of his game, just as our visual test shows an expansion of his height and muscle. We can watch him again tomorrow morning as Team USA takes on Turkey. We should see what Weiss calls the "Megadeath Lineup" often, possibly with Tatum at the 5-spot. Don't discount the possibility.

Follow Tom at @CelticsSentinel and @_Celtics_Center





http://www.celticslife.com/2018/10/is-jayson-tatum-getting-taller-i-offer.html

This has been on my mind for at least a month now, and I need to present what I see. Before quickly discarding what I am broaching, please note that I spent years as a Research Engineer, a profession where precise measurements drive results. My point is, Jayson Tatum seems to have gained some height.



Here is my exhibit. Take a look at the starting-five for Boston. Now at first glance, it looks like Jayson is the tallest of the group, even taller than Al Horford - who is listed at 6'10". So I will play Devil's Advocate here. Maybe Jayson is wearing shoes with thicker soles. Maybe Al is slouching. In the group, is Tatum closer to the camera? I am trying to prove myself wrong. Stay with me.

Try doing what I do. Take an envelope and place the top edge even with the top of the photo. Now move the envelope down, while keeping the top edge parallel with the top of the photo. Do it slowly. It is crude science, but it can work.


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Now, as you move the envelope down the photo (keep it parallel), whose top-of-the-head appears first? Tatum's. Now keep going. Who is next? It is Horford. Keep going. Gordon Hayward's top-of-the-head appears just before Jaylen Brown's, but they both have high hair, so go to the top of their foreheads. So Gordan now barely comes in as third-tallest, followed by Jaylen.

Granted, a group photo-as-height-comparison is flawed, but let me add this. Horford is listed between 6'9" and 6'10", depending on which source you choose. My present occupation as Personal Trainer/Health Coach requires me to perform many precise measurements on clients. I just don't rely on the measurements I see on NBA players.

Here is a comment via reddit.com:

He's (Tatum) listed at 6'8".... Yeah right. I saw a timeout where he and horford were next to each other. I think our 19 yo 3pt champ is every bit of 6'11.

Here is more input per MaxPreps.com's Mitch Stevens:

Blessed with smooth guard skills and a feel for the game, his recent growth spurt has allowed him to post up. He has extremely long arms and often throws over the top of shorter defenders. He sees the entire court. He'll see it even better if one family doctor is correct. That doctor predicted Tatum won't stop growing until he reaches between 6-10 and 7-1. "I was measured recently at 6-8½," Tatum said. "I don't know where I'll stop. But I'll keep working on my game."

It appears to me that Jayson is damn close to Al's height and is, at least, a solid 6'9" , up from 6'8.25" prior to his draft. And both Al and Jayson are towards the rear of the group. Oh, and by the way, while doing some more research on this subject, I learned that Horford pressed 185 pounds 20 times at the Draft Combine. As I keep learning more about this quiet gentleman, my respect for him increases - just like Jayson's height.

Follow Tom at @TomLaneHC

Photo via Maddie Meyer/Getty Images

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