Tracy McGrady's divisive Jayson Tatum take is only half right

There is panic in the streets (Twitter) of Boston. Sunday’s ugly 102-92 Celtics loss at the hands of the Minnesota Timberwolves isn’t sitting well with anyone. A contingent of the fanbase thinks the sky is falling, while another is defending the wall against Tracy  McGrady’s evil Jayson Tatum take.

McGrady, during NBC’s Sunday Night Basketball postgame show, shared that he feels the Cs have lost some offensive rhythm since Tatum returned the lineup just over two weeks ago.

“I don’t want to say it seems out of wack but their shooting has gone down since he’s been here,” TMac said of Boston’s offense. “It’s really like ‘guys, what are we doing here? Are we running the same stuff as before? Are we still on the same page? Or are we divided because we’re not playing our same game.’ I’m sure there’s a lot mentally these guys are going through because of the insertion of JT.”

What to make of TMac's Jayson Tatum take?

For what it’s worth, there would’ve been no easier time to go on national TV and say that there’s something wrong with Boston’s offense than doing it after they scored just 92 points while shooting 35.8% from the field. TMac watched the Cs put together their second-worst offensive performance of the season and laid out the simplest, easiest reason why they looked like me and the rest of the Hardwood Houdini staff trying to score on Minnesota.

There’s going to be a learning curve anytime you try and add a new piece into a team that’s been playing one way the entire season. Sometimes, you have to take a step back to take two forward. 

Technically, McGrady is right. Boston’s offensive rating has dipped down from their season average of 119.3 to an estimated 113.8 with Tatum on the floor, according to the league’s website.

Other sites, like whichever one Barstool Sports’ Dan Greenberg used Monday morning, would say that it’s actually improved.

Regardless, the six-time All-Star is still working his way back to full strength and getting his feet back underneath him as the games go on.

Through his first eight appearances, JT is averaging 19.1 points, 8.9 rebounds, and 3.3 assists per game on 38.8% from the field and 29.3% from beyond the arc.

That’s all okay.

The beautiful thing about basketball is it’s a two-way sport. Defensive production is just as important as putting up strong offensive numbers. Boston’s defensive rating improves from 111.5 to an estimated 102.9 when Tatum is on the court. His estimated net rating is currently at 10.8, over three points higher than the Celtics’ season-long net rating of 7.8.

Tatum’s presence on the defensive glass plays a big role in their elite defensive numbers as of late. In order to get stops, you have to finish the possession with a rebound, something that they struggled to do at times earlier in the season. Adding a six-foot-nine-inch athletic wing who averages almost nine rebounds a game will help with that.

Most importantly, the Celtics are winning with Tatum in the lineup

Advanced metrics aren’t always everything. The team still has to win games in order to enjoy whatever success the metrics say they should be having.

They’ve also done that with the five-time All-NBA wing back in the mix. Sunday’s defeat vs. Minny was the first game that the Celtics have lost with both Tatum and Jaylen Brown on the floor in both halves. They, of course, lost in San Antonio to the Spurs two weeks ago, but Brown was ejected late in the first half.

That matchup was also Tatum’s third game back from his 10-month absence. Though he hasn’t quite looked like himself thus far, the Celtics’ star isn’t costing the team wins. Again, they’re 6-2 when he’s played this season. It’s just going to take some patience as he continues to get his game back.

"I mean, it's tough in the moment, right? You try not to think about it,” Tatum shared in the locker room on Sunday night. “You just want to be Jayson Tatum and feel like yourself again. I'm not Superman. So, it's obviously going to take some time. I think [that] the next day, I can give myself a little more grace over certain things. But in the moment, it's frustrating."