So much of Jayson Tatum’s return so far has been judged by what he’s doing when he has the basketball, specifically scoring and making shots. And he has knocked down a few threes, he’s had some nice drives and finishes, and there have been a few bursts where it feels like he can get whatever he wants. But we’re far from seeing the guy who has led the Celtics in scoring the past six seasons.
Tatum has been a walking bucket since entering the league, someone who can roll out of bed and get you 30+ whenever he wants to. And I expect that’s what he’ll be for many more years to come.Â
But right now, as he gets comfortable playing NBA basketball again after almost 10 months off, he may not be the dominant scorer we’re used to. And that’s perfectly okay. What has made JT one of the best players in the league is how great of an all-around basketball player he has become. Again, he’s always been a scorer, but he has added so much more.
While the consistent scoring and self-creation may take a while, in his first two games, we’ve already seen Tatum impact winning in a plethora of ways.
Tatum can impact winning in every aspect of the game
Along with all the obvious scoring prowess, Tatum is arguably Boston’s best rebounder, help defender, passer, and much more. On top of that, he's one of the smartest players in the league. He has looked good enough that defenses are already tilting in his direction, which opens up the floor for his teammates.
JT is an elite spot-up shooter, and lingering off the ball with the ability to attack closeouts or hit open threes is something that opposing teams aren’t going to know how to handle. We already saw a great example in Sunday’s game as the ball swung around to an open Tatum, who buried a dagger three to finish off the Cavaliers.
He is still going to have his moments and be able to pick his spots, hekc, by the end of the playoffs, maybe JT will be back to running the show and leading the team in scoring most nights. But so far, he has put up 15 points and 20 points in his two games, very solid numbers, but well below what he’s accustomed to, and not enough to lead the team either night.
The Celtics are chock full of elite shooters and guys who can finish plays. They need Tatum to be a Swiss Army Knife; to read the game and give them whatever is needed. He is as capable of doing that as any superstar in the league, and if he can keep growing into this role and playing it to perfection, there’s no reason he can’t help lead the Celtics to banner 19.