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Boston Celtics: How to manage Jayson Tatum‘s minutes

By Aivaras Karla

Jayson Tatum's playing time leans a bit on the heavy side -- reducing his playing time could actually help the Boston Celtics (Photo By Winslow Townson/Getty Images)
Jayson Tatum's playing time leans a bit on the heavy side -- reducing his playing time could actually help the Boston Celtics (Photo By Winslow Townson/Getty Images) /
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This season, Jayson Tatum is averaging 37 minutes per game for the Boston Celtics, which is tied first in the league. The other two are O.G. Anunoby and Luka Dončič, who similarly play three quarters a game. Meanwhile, Jaylen Brown averages almost 36 minutes per contest. The Cs have two players who are in the top 10 in minutes per games, which raises a question…

Should they be playing that much?

Coach Joe Mazzulla is a rookie in the coaching realm, so his goal is to win as many games as possible to prove that he belongs. His situation is different from Eric Spoelstra’s in Miami, who has full support.

Until Mazzulla’s squad can prove more on the court — and he’s already off to a great start through nearly halfway through the regular season — the interim Boston Celtics coach won’t have that leverage from team ownership and the front office.

When you have a good team, you can use regular season to experiment. By reducing Tatum’s minutes, you can give more time for Sam Hauser or Grant Williams and build up their confidence even more. You may have to sacrifice a win here or there, but you will need those role players in the post season. Also, a fresher Tatum would help in the long run and even in the short-term.

At the end of the day, the 2022-23 Boston Celtics season will be judged by the team’s postseason success. Should they win the championship, there could be a few tough sacrifices along the way.

The Boston Celtics could add more depth to alleviate Jayson Tatum’s workload

The best way to preserve Jayson Tatum for the long-term would be to add another wing who could keep the offense moving without the MVP candidate in the process. Danilo Gallinari would have filled that role if not for his ACL tear back over the summer.

With the trade deadline coming up, the Cs could get involved with rebuilding squads like the Detroit Pistons, Charlotte Hornets, San Antonio Spurs, and Houston Rockets to get talent in exchange for Gallinari’s contract, draft picks, and Payton Pritchard.

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