Jayson Tatum's first few weeks back with the Boston Celtics have been tumultuous, to say the least.
On one hand, he's helped them win six of his first eight games back. On the other hand, his shooting has been streaky and more bad than good, resulting in a 38.8 shooting percentage from the floor and a 29.3 shooting percentage from beyond the arc.
Tatum has received a lot of criticism for his poor play and its impact on the Celtics, even though some shooting woes were to be expected after a 10-month layoff.
While Tatum's struggles have been frustrating, former NBA champ Richard Jefferson believes Boston simply needs to ride them out for now, as the payoff could be worth it in the long run.
Richard Jefferson on Tracy McGrady comments about Celtics playing a different brand of basketball since Jayson Tatum has came back:
“Make no mistake. Boston has had an outstanding season. Jaylen Brown MVP candidate, first team All-NBA guy he’s had probably the best season from a… https://t.co/rxJJjUKfZd pic.twitter.com/Dc28HoRq6u
— NBA Courtside (@NBA__Courtside) March 24, 2026
"Make no mistake, Boston has had an outstanding season... They cannot accomplish something great without Jayson Tatum. So whatever you have to sacrifice over an eight-to-10-game stretch within reason," Jefferson said Tuesday on "Road Trippin'". "They are not a conference finalist, in my opinion. Their percentage of being a conference finalist greatly increases if Jayson Tatum's 60%...70%...80%... But there's going to be ups and downs that they have to accept."
Jefferson compared it to the Miami Heat's "Big Three" era, when LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh had to learn to play together. It took time, but it paid off, producing four NBA Finals appearances and two titles in four years.
If the Celtics want to go all the way this year, they're going to need Tatum to be at least partially effective. He doesn't have to be 100 percent or fully back to his old self, but he needs to be at least a pretty good version of himself who can help Jaylen Brown carry them to a championship.
That will take time, and fortunately, he still has a few weeks left before the playoffs start.
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