Jayson Tatum dropped a brutal 6-for-23 shooting line, including an ugly 0-for-7 from three-point range, in the Celtics’ 121-113 season-opening loss to the Pistons on Tuesday. It was a dreadful performance that left coach Joe Mazzulla’s pre-game words echoing: he still doesn’t think we’ve seen the best of Tatum yet. After that showing, it’s clear we haven’t, but man, we definitely saw what Mazzulla meant about Tatum’s conceptual impact, even when his shot is completely off.
The Numbers Were Ugly, But the Impact Was Real
Let’s be real: 13 points on 6-for-23 shooting, with zero makes from deep and a shocking 1-of-10 in the second half, is a stinker. Tatum even missed a bunny in the first quarter, which felt like an omen that night. He looked rusty, his form clunky, and his usual shot felt off. He told reporters his shot “felt good,” but immediately followed up with, “Definitely not one of my best nights, obviously. I just have to play better.” No kidding, Jayson. This poor shooting night was probably the number one reason they lost that game, which honestly isn’t something you can say about Tatum very often.
But here’s the wild part: even when he couldn’t buy a bucket, Tatum still left his fingerprints all over the game. He racked up 11 assists, dished out 4 rebounds, and was organizing the Celtics on both ends of the court. He was taking the right shots more often than not, which is a testament to his evolving game. He draws so much attention, it actually opened things up for guys like Paul George, who exploded for 38 points. That’s the glimpse Mazzulla was talking about: a player who impacts the game beyond his scoring, even on a night where his scoring is pure brickwork.
The Alpha Challenge Has Begun
This season is a whole new beast for Tatum. It’s his first as the true, undisputed alpha on the team. With Jaylen Brown gone, defenses are looking at Tatum differently. They can guard George one-on-one and then double Tatum when they feel like it. George, despite his brilliance on Tuesday, is predominantly a shooter now and doesn’t have Brown’s explosiveness to break down those double teams consistently. That means the ball is squarely in Tatum’s court to make the right reads, to take what the defense gives him. He did make the right reads often, but the offensive output just wasn’t there.
Tatum owned it completely, putting the blame on himself. “There’s a lot of things I could learn from today and just be better for next time,” he said. That’s what you want to hear from your leader.
This clunky debut? We have to brush it aside and assume it’s an outlier. If it becomes a trend, then the Celtics have a real problem on their hands. But the smart money says it won’t. This is just Tatum getting his feet wet, getting situated in his new alpha role. It’s going to be absolutely fascinating to watch how he handles this season, navigating the pressure and the adjusted defensive schemes. It’s his team, and how far they go, well, that’s entirely up to him.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Celtics Blog.
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