Luke Kornet's take on Jayson Tatum will remind Celtics fans why they fell for him

On the heels of shootaround before the San Antonio Spurs' 125-116 win over the Boston Celtics, Luke Kornet met with the media. The seven-foot-one center did so for slightly over eight minutes.

Among the topics he fielded questions on were his open letter against the Atlanta Hawks' decision to host a "Magic City Night," an event the NBA cancelled. He also spoke about the Spurs' surge, succeeding in 15 of their last 16 games before beating Boston.

Kornet also shared his thoughts on former teammate Jayson Tatum, who recently returned nearly 10 months after tearing his Achilles tendon.

"I'm frankly not really surprised, although it's definitely cool seeing him out there," said the ninth-year center. "He cares about the game and someone who also prides themselves on, like, being available."

A candid Kornet on Jayson Tatum's return

Like the rest of us, when Kornet and Tatum were teammates, including forming one of the NBA's most lethal pick-and-roll combinations last season, what the former saw from the latter was how much he hated to be out of the lineup.

Tatum was an iron man. He played through injuries, talked the team out of giving him maintenance days, and was a star that fans could count on playing when they bought a ticket.

"In my time with him, you see him play through like every little kind of nagging injury, and [he] very like rarely ever makes an exception to that. Usually, it's [the] staff having to talk him down from playing," voiced Kornet. "I think to see him back out there and to see him contributing right away is not really surprising.

"And he's a great player, and it's awesome to see him back out there, and especially with their team being able to play as well as they can. But then, obviously, [to] be able to add him and have some time to really acclimate and lock in like that. It's a testament to him and his work ethic, and how much he cares about playing, for him to be able to work back and be back and play at the level that he is."

Tatum registered 24 points, five rebounds, two assists, and two steals in 27 minutes of floor time against the Spurs on Tuesday night. In the second half, he shot 6/10 from the floor and made two of his four attempts from behind the arc. That includes going 4/8 and putting 10 points on the board in the final frame.

The six-time All-Star looks good in his return. He has often returned to being an offensive engine and the head of the snake for the Celtics at that end of the floor. It's also easy to appreciate the impact of his gravity and how it lends itself to Boston creating quality shots.

Defensively, Tatum has performed well, both as an individual and a help defender. He was most impactful on the defensive glass in his season debut, but it's apparent that he gives this team a boost in that phase of the game.

As he builds toward his wish for more playing time, Tatum is continuing to get his legs under him. It's the next step, and one can see that's happening in real time, as evidenced by his shooting display in the second half in San Antonio. It was an encouraging sign as the playoffs creep closer.