For the first time since returning from injury three games ago, Jayson Tatum is getting a night off. The Celtics announced he’ll be out on Thursday night in Oklahoma City, officially listed with right achilles injury management.
Tatum has looked great in his first three games of the season, playing just around 27 minutes in each game, averaging 19.7 points, 6.7 rebounds, and 3.7 assists per game. The jump shot has looked a little off, but overall, JT has mostly looked like himself and appears to be quickly shaking off most of the rust.
But the team is being smart and using caution, giving Jayson the night off in a tough matchup against the defending champions and title favorites, the Thunder. As good as JT has looked, and as successful as his ramp-up has been so far, it’s important to make sure he doesn’t push himself too hard too quickly.
Celtics saving Tatum from himself
As tempting as it must be to have the full squad out there against the class of the NBA in this marquee, nationally televised matchup, the Celtics have bigger goals in mind. I’m sure Tatum wants to go out there and prove himself, but the team and the medical staff need to save him from himself.
Tatum may feel good, but the recovery in between games is huge, and there’s no telling how his body will feel waking up each day. This game in OKC is going to be very high-intensity, and sitting it out will give him ample rest before the team’s next game on Saturday.
Tatum avoids the threat of Lu Dort
Along with the obvious benefits of getting Tatum extra rest and to allow his body more recovery time after playing his first three games of the season, it’s also probably not a terrible idea to avoid this specific matchup.
The Thunder are known for their scrappy defenders at guard and on the wing. They play extremely physically, and Lu Dort, specifically, has come under fire for two recent flagrant fouls against Nikola Jokic, including one that led to a near-brawl at center court.
I’m not saying Dort is a dirty player, or that the Celtics are intentionally holding Tatum out just to avoid a possible altercation with Dort, but it’s not a bad thing either. Eventually, we will see Tatum truly test himself against the best competition in the league, but there’s no need to risk it just yet.