Should we be worried about Jayson Tatum being in a shooting slump with Boston Celtics?
"I wouldn’t say (it's) a normal slump because that’s the first time I went through something like this," said the St. Louis native.
Star Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum has exceeded expectations since returning from the Achilles tendon injury he sustained in the 2025 NBA Eastern Conference Semifinals, but the St. Louis native still has off nights. And Tatum certainly had one of them in the Celtics' 102-92 home loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves on Sunday (March 22) night, the Duke alum going just 6-of-16 from the floor overall on a night he put up 16 points, 11 rebounds, 2 assists, and as many steals.
Asked if his injury was responsible for his inefficient shooting, Tatum said "I wouldn’t say (it's) a normal slump because that’s the first time I went through something like this -- it’s just been a long time. It was a long time before I could shoot a basketball or walk, so, I’m trying to knock the rust off, game by game. " "I find great spurts and moments, from game to game, trying to put more and more together," added the Celtics forward.
As to what went wrong for Boston, Tatum said that "they picked up the pressure, physicality, forcing turnovers, especially in that second quarter -- we've got to take care of the ball. " Still, patience is in order for the Boston forward, even if early play has been injecting a higher level of expectations for Tatum. "I’m still just trying to figure it out.
It’s been a long time. It’s only my like ninth game back, so I’m just trying to get a feel for it. " Listen to "Havlicek Stole the Pod" on: Blue Wire: https://tiny.