Since returning to the Boston Celtics rotation, Jayson Tatum has struggled when shooting the ball. He’s currently knocking down 50% of his two-point attempts and 29.3% of his shots from deep. As such, Tatum has received some criticism for his struggles from both the media and some sections of the fanbase.
During a March 24 livestream, via Twitch, Jaylen Brown defended Tatum, noting how it's going to take some time before we see him back at his best.
“I got full belief in Jayson Tatum,” Brown said. “I got full belief in our team. We just got to keep our connectivity. Handle our adversity the right way. Everything isn’t always going to go your way in life. You got to remember that. Everything isn’t always going to go your way.”
Tatum has played eight games since returning from his Achilles injury. He’s made a valuable impact as a playmaker, floor spacer, weakside defender and at times, scorer. However, he’s still working his way back into game shape. It’s going to take time for him to find a rhythm and feel comfortable when shooting the rock against a live defense.
The whole point of Tatum coming back in March was to give him time to ramp back up ahead of the playoffs. This phase was always going to be bumpy. Therefore, it’s encouraging to see Brown supporting his teammates, especially as Tatum will be a key factor in the Celtics' postseason success.
Sooner or later, Tatum’s shooting will click back into place. Until then, he’s got to keep letting them fly, as that’s the only way to get over this current hurdle.
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