Sitting out with injury was a sneaky huge boon for Jayson Tatum's game

It’s clearly still going to take some time for Jayson Tatum to get back to full strength physically and mentally, but he has come along faster than anyone could have realistically expected, which was emphasized with his Eastern Conference Player of the Week Award he received on Monday, just three weeks after returning from a torn achilles.

He may not have his full range of motion or his peak athleticism all the way back yet, but one thing that has stood out, looking better than ever, is his passing and playmaking. The way he is reading the court, taking what the defense gives him, and repeatedly making the right play has been extremely impressive.

Tatum was already developing into an elite floor general, but now it looks like the game has slowed down, and he is taking what the defense gives him and using it to create an advantage on almost every single play. 

Some of his assists have been amazing, plus he’s making the right read at the right time out of double teams and traps, setting up his teammates to attack compromised opponents, and racking up the hockey assists.

Bill Simmons thinks sitting and watching has helped Tatum improve

Others have posited a similar sentiment, but on Sunday night’s Bill Simmons Podcast, Bill and Zach Lowe talked about Tatum and how he has looked, and Bill specifically brought up the passing.

He hypothesized that JT actually benefited from sitting out, but staying with the team, watching, almost as a coach on the bench. The fact that he stayed with the team all season, being extremely present, allowed him to gain a new perspective and learn about his teammates.

Even with the players he didn’t have a great previous connection with, he was able to observe and figure out how they play, what their strengths are, and how to set them up to succeed. It has been easy to see his connection with newer players like Baylor Scheierman, Jordan Walsh, Neemias Queta, and Luka Garza.

Tatum hadn’t played with them a lot, but he has been watching them all season, and it looks like he has been able to come right in and connect with them, even enhancing their game, as well as his own. 

The results have been immediate and obvious, and Tatum looks like a true leader on the floor, manipulating the game in every possible way. It raises the floor of the Celtics, and will help this team, not only keep clicking with Tatum in the lineup, but to actually elevate it.