Jayson Tatum: elite rebounder?

One of the biggest problems for the Boston Celtics the past couple of seasons has been rebounding. This was on display during the playoffs last season, when Boston grabbed three less rebounds per game against the Cleveland Cavaliers, or when they gave up almost eight per game against the Philadelphia 76ers.

This has been a consistency throughout Brad Stevens' tenure with the team, and has been a subject of concern for Danny Ainge as the team has rebuilt. While Boston's rebounding woes have been lessened as the years have gone by, there was still a discrepancy during last year's playoffs.

Through the first four games of the season, however, it has looked like Jayson Tatum may be the key to the C's problems. While it is certainly a small sample size, Tatum is averaging 10.5 rebounds per game, including his recent career-high 14. This is definitely a surprise this season, considering his 4.4 rebounds per game during the playoffs. While it may surprise some, Ainge saw Tatum's potential for rebounding from as early as his draft evaluation.

Brad Stevens says that Danny Ainge emphasized Jayson Tatum’s defensive rebounding ability during the Draft eval process. Tatum grabbed a career-best 14 rebs tonight, and has grabbed at least nine in all three games.

— Marc D'Amico (@Marc_DAmico) October 21, 2018

Tatum has already shown the ability to contribute significantly to the offense. If he becomes an exceptional rebounder as well, the Celts solve one of their biggest problems, strengthening their contention for the NBA Championship. Looks like Danny was right again.

Data: basketball-reference.com
Photo: Adam Glanzman/ Getty Images