The Boston Celtics are leaning more on Jayson Tatum to carry them this year. After trading Jaylen Brown, Tatum has to shoulder more of the offensive load every night. So far, that has led them to a 3-1 start. He hit a game-winning shot against the Nets to give them that record.
Paul George has been able to help Tatum out, as his outside shooting has been great for the team’s spacing. He is now 18 months removed from tearing his Achilles. Tatum is finally starting to feel like himself this far removed from the injury.
Jayson Tatum Is Finally Feeling Like His Old Self
After taking down the Nets, Tatum revealed that he is finally feeling like he did before his devastating injury.
“I’m 18 months out from when I tore my Achilles, and there’s certain moments throughout a game, on and off the ball, where I’m doing a cut or exploding or just doing something that something in my mind clicks, and like ‘Oh, you know, that feeling is really starting to feel like, you know, pre-injury.’ And results, make or miss the shot, I get really excited about some of the movements that I make throughout the game.”
Physically, Tatum looks much more fluid this season than he did at the end of last year. It seems that the extra few months have really helped his healing process. So far, the numbers that Tatum is putting up would support that.
Tatum is averaging 28 points. 6.3 rebounds and eight assists per game. He is shooting 43 percent from the field, but only 24 percent from beyond the 3-point arc. The outside shooting seems to be the one piece that hasn’t fully caught back up to where it was pre-injury.
Still, Tatum feels much more confident moving fluidly than he did at the end of last year’s regular season.
“I worked really, really, really, really hard to come back to be a certain type of player and be reliable like I was before I got injured, and that was always the goal,” Tatum said.
The Celtics Need Jayson Tatum to be a Top-10 Player
In order to win the loaded East, Tatum has to be a top-10 player for the Celtics this season. George’s shooting can’t be sustainable over an 82-game season. George will also likely miss games, as he is someone who has the reputation of being injury-prone.
Early in the season, Boston has the sixth-best offensive rating in the league. Tatum being back to his old self should keep them as a top-five offense. Last season, they had the second-best offensive rating. That slight dip from last year can be traced to Tatum’s poor outside shooting so far.
The Celtics are betting that Tatum is going to be able to stay healthy throughout this season. Other than the Achilles tear, he has been remarkably durable throughout his career. Keeping that the same this season will be paramount if they are going to chase down another NBA title.
Celtics’ Jayson Tatum Reveals How His Body Feels 18 Months Removed From Injury