Celtics’ Jayson Tatum Reveals Silver Lining Of Devastating Injury
Tatum's injury has given him a new perspective
It’s been a tough season for Boston Celtics superstar Jayson Tatum, who’s spent the entire campaign rehabbing his Achilles injury from last May.
Not playing has been hard for Tatum, who was one of the most durable players in the NBA prior to his injury. It’s been a big adjustment for a guy who takes pride in playing as many games as possible.
On the plus side, watching so many games from the sidelines has given him a different perspective on the sport.
“I sit next to the coaches during all the games, so I hear their commentary and see it through the lens of a coach. I see [the game] from that perspective a lot more than I would have ever seen it before,” Tatum said recently.
While he hasn’t been able to suit up, Tatum has made a point of traveling with the team as much as possible and of continuing to support his teammates. He’s seen a lot of games from the bench now, and it sounds like it’s been a good learning experience for him.
It also helps that he’s able to learn from some of the league’s best coaches in Joe Mazzulla, Sam Cassell and others.
Accordingly, don’t be surprised if Tatum is a smarter, more tactical basketball player when he returns, which may be soon. He could return before the end of the regular season, which would be a huge boost for a resilient Celtics squad that enters the All-Star Break as the second seed in the Eastern Conference.
