The Boston Celtics went through training camp in South Carolina over the past week, hoping to get in some team bonding time for a roster that has undergone some serious changes. Jayson Tatum will go back to being the focal point, but for the first time in a decade, there will be no Jaylen Brown on board. Paul George is in his place, along with center Mitchell Robinson and point guard Mike Conley. A little time away together, despite record-breaking rainfall, presumably brought the group closer together.
Tatum, especially, could appreciate that. The Celtics star was only five months removed from tearing his Achilles tendon when last year’s training camp got underway, and was still in the early stages of recovery and rehab. Tatum wound up returning to the floor remarkably fast–he was back on the floor in March–but the season was always a little bit off-kilter for him, out of the normal rhythm of an NBA player’s life.
Jayson Tatum Missed Celtics Training Camp
Still, Tatum averaged 21.8 points in 16 regular season games to close the year, then averaged 23.3 points in six playoff games. But when Celtics camp–most NBA players complain about camp–was taken away last year, Tatum says, he gained a new appreciation for it. Things were difficult last year. This year, it’s not so bad.
“It’s a totally different perspective,” Tatum said, via Gary Washburn of the Boston Globe. “Last year was really tough for me. I kind of remember these days of training camp [last year] and I would be in the weight room the whole time watching the team practice. It was just tough to digest and go through it.
“So now being on this side and knowing what it felt like to have to watch the whole time. It’s a different level of appreciation of being a part of everything and the game that I love with my teammates, it’s a different type of joy that I have now than I did my first eight seasons.”
Celtics’ Jayson Tatum Takes New View After ‘Tough’ Training Camp