Jayson Tatum is 'Rusty' and 'All Over The Place,' but He's Where He Belongs

One of these days, Jayson Tatum will meet the media and talk about something other than how his return to the Boston Celtics after his Achilles injury is going.

This was not the day.

“I’m still rusty,” he said after beating the Atlanta Hawks. “Obviously you probably can see the moments when it doesn’t look the same or I look rusty, but I think just the mindset of ‘on to the next play.’ I’m thankful that I’ve got teammates and a coaching staff that are patient with me in this moment as I’m trying to just figure it out.”

There are a lot of players that wish their careers could look as good as Tatum’s “figure it out” game that led to 26 points, 12 rebounds, and five assists. But Tatum knows where he wants to be, and this ain’t it.

“It’s all over the place,” he told reporters in the locker room. “Sometimes I’ll be dribbling the f---ing the ball and I like mishandle [it]. Sometimes I still have the ball but it’s just, like, damn. It’s frustrating. Obviously some of the shots and layups at the rim, just kind of moving too fast a little bit. So it’s frustrating to me.”

There is a wide chasm between being physically able to play NBA basketball and being “Jayson Tatum” again. The Hawks game came 318 days after his surgery to repair his right Achilles tendon. It’s incredible that he’s even playing, never mind playing a season-high 36 minutes and 36 seconds in his 10th game back. Yet here he is.

“I’m playing more minutes now and it’s a thing, like, 10 and a half months of not playing, your wind, your legs, fatigue sets in, and those things take time,” Tatum said. “But for me just trying to figure out areas and ways where I can still try to make a positive impact on the game.”

This is the balance for him, and it’s also why people say whatever percentage of Tatum he is is still better than 100% of the guy he’s replacing. Tatum looks fatigued when he comes out of games. He is taking some deep breaths on the bench when he comes out of games. But then he checks in, grabs a bunch of rebounds, and draws 10 free throw attempts.

“I thought offensively, he got into the paint, was able to get to the free-throw line, shoot 10 free throws, just continuing to chip away at giving the game what it needs,” Joe Mazzulla said. “[He] was aggressive in his drives, missed some easy layups there, but as long as he stays aggressive, as long as he makes the right read, as long as he continues to rebound, he's continuing to get better and better.”

This is what Tatum was born to do. If the Basketball Gods could conspire to build an ideal basketball player, he’d have Tatum’s measurements. When one’s sole purpose in life is taken away, it’s replaced by reflection and refocusing.

“I never took the game for granted, but as you could imagine, how much I missed playing basketball,” Tatum said. “The little kid inside me, that was all I wanted to do my entire life. So when I was cleared and got the opportunity, there was a lot of people I talked to to make the decision, knowing that I wasn't going to be perfect when I first came on the floor, but showing my teammates that I was willing to fight through it and give it my all. And even though I wouldn’t be as in rhythm or in condition at first — you knew it was going to take some time — I wanted to be out there with them, and I was going to do whatever it took.”

He did that against the Hawks and found a way to score 13 points in the fourth quarter to help the Celtics hold on and win. It’s as if he’s two different players right now: The guy trying to come back and be himself, and the guy the Celtics need in order to win. Those two lines will eventually converge, it’s just a matter of when. Until then, Tatum will process his frustration with perspective.

“I remember 60 some odd games I just had to show up and watch,” Tatum said. “Remember when I couldn't walk and when I wasn't even running on the court yet. So, just reminded to just be thankful for just being able to do what I love again. It's tough to be thankful in the moment, because you want to feel like yourself, but I think after the game, when I get home, I find the time to reflect and — it’s my 10th or 11th game — just be happy to be putting on my uniform again.”