As a potential return creeps closer for Jayson Tatum, talks have shifted to how this will actually look on the basketball court. The Celtics have played far better than anyone expected this season, and they’ve got themselves squarely in the mix for one of the top seeds in the East. Still, they are clearly a step below the true contenders.
Tatum has the potential to be the missing piece that could push Boston into that contender mix, but given the fact that he hasn’t played in over nine months, it would be unfair to expect him to step right in and fulfill his old role on a team that now looks very different.
But luckily, JT is one of the most malleable superstars in the NBA, and he can be additive in so many ways while taking nothing off the table. This was outlined perfectly in a recent episode of the Zach Lowe Show, when guest Fred Katz described how Tatum can come back this season and be the best role player in the NBA.
At first blush, Celtics fans (and Tatum stans) will surely take this as a slight, but it was meant to be complimentary. Tatum doesn’t have a domineering style of play, he doesn’t need a system built around him, and he doesn’t even need to be the center of attention to thrive.
Tatum can have massive impact, even with smaller role
Obviously, he will be that at times, and it’s not like he’ll be relegated to standing in the corner all game, but he’s going to have a lighter minutes load for sure. When he’s playing, he can do all the little things at an elite level.
Instead of constantly being a primary ballhandler who attacks the rim, he can be more of a catch-and-shoot threat, a post-up threat, a playmaking hub from the high post, a screen setter, and much more. Picture what guys like Baylor Scheierma, Jordan Walsh, and Hugo Gonzalez have done for the Celtics this season. Now picture Tatum fulfilling that role, and it starts to make more sense.
Again, there’s no doubt he’ll have a much higher usage than that, but the point is, the Cs don’t need the MVP-caliber version of Jayson Tatum to give this team a real shot. They may need that in bursts, and if he really hits the ground running, maybe he becomes that sooner than expected.
But even if we don’t, just getting a player of that level back on the court in any capacity is going to make a massive difference. Tatum is such a high-IQ player, and he has already talked about how much he has thought about his fit on this team. It’s clear that the focus is on winning and how to best utilize him with that in mind.
Whenever it happens, it’s going to be exciting to see, and it’s going to be great to see Tatum adapt to a new team and a new role on the fly, while competing for another championship in the process. It’s hard to imagine a better player to have dropped into this position.