A former NBA veteran doesn't believe Jayson Tatum should fret his shooting funk.
Tatum has a 38.8 field-goal percentage this season after making just nine of 31 shots in his last two games. The Boston Celtics star admitted to some frustration after Sunday's 102-92 loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves, but Iman Shumpert thinks Tatum's return from a torn Achilles is still going according to plan.
Shumpert, who tore his ACL during the 2012 postseason, explained on ESPN's "Get Up" that Tatum is experiencing the normal progression back from a significant injury. The 2016 NBA champion feels the initial adrenaline rush from Tatum's return is wearing off.
"I think we're seeing it right on pace," Shumpert said. "When you first come back from an injury, there's the natural reaction of the crowd, everybody involved and you saying, 'Hey man, I can get back to doing this. I'll play a certain way.' So the excitement will carry you out, and you shoot really well.
"Then you run into a little bit of a wall where your legs start to decide, are we in shape? You start feeling the woes come a little bit. A lot of the shots are short."
Shumpert doesn't feel Tatum's substandard shooting poses any long-term concerns. The ex-guard believes the 28-year-old remains on track to work off the rust in time for a playoff run.
"It's not something to be discouraged about. I think you're right on target," Shumpert said. "I think we all understood it was gonna take some time. Your outside shot's not going down. Sometimes you get to the cup, and you're not finishing as well as you used to. But those things happen when you're just getting your body back."
Tatum will receive a two-day respite before the Celtics host the Oklahoma City Thunder on Wednesday night.
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