Jayson Tatum completed his 10th game of the season during the Boston Celtics’ 109-102 win over the Atlanta Hawks on Friday, March 27. The All-Star forward returned to the rotation on March 6, following a nearly 300-day absence due to an Achilles injury.
Despite his long-term absence, Tatum is already performing at an elite level on the defensive glass, while showing signs of recovery in his playmaking, processing speed and shot creation. Unfortunately for Celtics fans, his shooting is lagging behind, with Tatum struggling for consistency across all three levels.
When speaking with the media after the game, Tatum admitted that his current focus is on improving his overall conditioning and getting back into a rhythm on the court.
“It’s more just like rhythm, conditioning,” Tatum said. “I’m playing more minutes now, it’s a thing, you know, 10 and a half months of not playing, and your wind, your legs, fatigue sets in, and those things take time. But for me, just trying to figure out areas and ways where I can still try to make a positive impact on the game.”
As Tatum’s fitness improves and he gets back up to NBA game speed, his scoring will naturally start to improve as a result. Until then, he’s likely to have some variance in his overall offensive production, which was to be expected when he opted to make an in-season return.
Regardless of Tatum’s shooting struggles, he’s still a positive addition to the Celtics rotation. Boston is 8-2 with the All-NBA forward in the rotation, and appears to be good value to challenge for a spot in the NBA Finals based on current form.
If Tatum continues to improve throughout the remainder of the season, the Celtics will be among the favorites to compete for a championship this season, which in turn, will put them in a great position heading into the offseason and ultimately into the 2026-27 campaign.
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