Tatum's trainer details how Celtics star fixed his shot post-Olympics

Jayson Tatum was an absolute force in the 2024 NBA playoffs, leading the Boston Celtics in points (25.0), rebounds (9.7) and assists (6.3) per game as they steamrolled to an 18th championship.

Not bad for a player fighting through a shooting slump.

Despite his gaudy all-around numbers, Tatum shot just 42.7 percent from the floor and 28.3 percent from 3-point range over 19 playoff games. So, what exactly was wrong with Tatum's shot, and how was he eventually able to fix it?

Tatum's trainer and shooting coach Drew Hanlen -- who also works with Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey and other NBA stars -- joined NBC Sports Boston's Kayla Burton on a new episode of Hoopin' to share a behind-the-scenes perspective on Tatum's shot.

As Hanlen explained to Burton, Tatum actually struggled with his shot early in the 2023-24 season before making an adjustment in late December that sparked an immediate turnaround. (Tatum made 40.4 percent of his 3-pointers in January 2024 after shooting 32.4 percent beyond the arc in December 2023.)

"Early in the year, he actually had started in a shooting slump," Hanlen said of Tatum. "Around Christmas time, we had made a tweak when he came out to L.A. to play the Clippers and Lakers, then he went on a heater, was knocking down shots like crazy. And then for whatever reason, that slump reemerged during the playoffs."

Hanlen was tempted to tweak Tatum's shot again early in the postseason, but as the wins piled up and Tatum found other ways to make a positive impact, Hanlen decided against it.

"The problem was -- or maybe it was a good thing -- he was dominating every other aspect of the game, including mid-range shots and free throws at a high rate," Hanlen said. "So, what we didn't want to do is make a tweak or a change that could mess with him mentally and (impact) his confidence."

That decision obviously paid off, as Tatum still contributed to winning on both ends of the floor to help the Celtics win Banner 18. But after the 2024 Paris Olympics -- where Tatum's lack of playing time for Team USA was well-documented -- Hanlen got right to work helping the All-Star fix his shot.

"We were aware that basically, his ball path was off, which was leading to a higher (shooting) pocket, which was leading to flatter shots," Hanlen explained. "(It was) only on contested shots, because when it was contested, he felt like he had to shoot with a higher shot, which then caused him to kind of shoot the ball flatter instead of shoot on the way up, which is what we wanted.

"So, after the Olympics we were able to get in the gym and get back to retooling it."

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Hanlen emphasized that Tatum's shot didn't need a complete overhaul, but rather a few minor adjustments to get him back into positive habits.

"What we're really trying to do is get it back to what we know works," Hanlen said. "When his shot is at its best, there are three things that he always does. No. 1 is, he maintains his balance. No. 2 is, he has straight ball path, which means basically, it's all on his right side; he's not circling the ball. And No. 3 is, he's shooting it on the way up."

So far, Tatum's offseason work has paid off. He made 37.8 percent of his 3-pointers in October and November of the 2024-25 campaign and has bounced back from a January slump to knock down 39.4 percent of his 3-pointers through seven games in February. As of Friday, he ranks fourth in the NBA in made 3-pointers (191), trailing only Anthony Edwards, Malik Beasley and Stephen Curry.

For more great insight from Hanlen on Tatum's shot -- including a clarification on the supposed "hitch" in his shot -- watch the full episode of Hoopin' below (or on YouTube).