Jayson Tatum just had a brutal start to the NBA regular season, putting up a rough 13 points on a miserable 6-of-23 shooting as his Boston Celtics fell 121-113 to the Detroit Pistons. You don’t see that from a guy like Tatum often, do you? That kind of stat line is a tough pill to swallow for any star, especially on opening night.
Ausar Thompson Is the Simple Answer
So what happened? Pistons head coach JB Bickerstaff didn’t mince words when reporters asked about Tatum’s struggles. His answer was so blunt, so direct, it was almost shocking. “Ausar Thompson. That simple,” Bickerstaff said. He laid it out plain: when you get Thompson in one-on-one situations, you’re signing up for a long night. Doesn’t matter who you are, the coach said. That’s a huge statement, basically calling out one of the league’s top guys for getting locked up by one defender.
For a guy like Tatum to start the season struggling like that, getting shut down so directly, it’s a statement. This is just one game, yeah, but it’s a loud one for the Celtics star. What’s next for Tatum as he tries to bounce back from this early season brickfest?
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Bleacher Report.
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