In an period of load administration and gamers lacking prolonged intervals of time resulting from damage, Jayson Tatum stands out as some of the sturdy gamers within the NBA at this time.
Lengthy common seasons, deep playoff runs, and low season worldwide play virtually yearly of your profession can put loads of milage on the physique. Nevertheless, Jayson Tatum has accomplished a terrific job of taking good care of himself to have the ability to face up to taking part in day by day and keep away from any main damage (knock on wooden). To essentially grasp how a lot basketball Tatum has performed in his NBA profession thus far, let’s have a look at some numbers.
Out of a doable 580 video games in his NBA profession thus far, Jayson Tatum has performed in 536 of them. That is the same as 92% of video games performed for the Boston Celtics within the common season. Since his rookie yr within the 2017-18 season, Tatum’s 536 video games performed is ranked seventh in whole video games performed, seventeenth in minutes per sport at 34.3, and 2nd in whole minutes performed at 18,400.
With the Celtics being top-of-the-line groups within the league over the course of his profession, Tatum has been within the playoffs in each season and has amassed a complete of 113 playoff video games, probably the most by any participant because the 2017-18 season.
5 of Tatum’s seven playoff runs have ended within the convention finals or the NBA Finals and it was by no means a straightforward highway to get there. Tatum has been part of seven Recreation 7s in his profession going through off in grueling battles in opposition to the Cleveland Cavaliers, Miami Warmth, Milwaukee Bucks, and Philadelphia 76ers. In Recreation 7s, Jayson Tatum averages 26.7 PPG, 9.3 REB, and 5.1 AST and holds a 5-2 document.
Tatum has additionally represented Group USA on the worldwide stage, taking part within the 2019 Fiba World Cup, 2020 Tokyo Olympics, and the 2024 Paris Olympics.
In 2019, Tatum was solely capable of play in two of the USA’s qualifying video games resulting from damage, however he was the second main scorer on the 2020 Group USA gold medal profitable group, averaging 15.2 PPG on 49.3% FG% and 44.7% from three. Tatum didn’t have as large a task within the 2024 Olympics, but it surely nonetheless led to his second gold medal.
Tatum’s means to remain wholesome is a testomony to the work he does with coach Nick Sang. Within the third episode of the Netflix Documentary “Beginning 5,” Sang says, “eighty-two video games plus a postseason will be fairly taxing.” He goes on to credit score Tatum for not solely specializing in the on-court facet of his sport, but in addition shopping for into the physique work and appreciating the method of taking good care of it.
Tatum goes on to say, “Nick has a direct influence on the success that I’ve on the court docket… I’ve been some of the sturdy gamers since I’ve been within the NBA, and that may be a testomony to staying constant.”
With out Jayson Tatum being as sturdy as he’s, the Celtics may not have been capable of finding the identical success they’ve. You’ll be able to have a look at groups just like the 76ers with Joel Embiid or the Clippers with Kawhi Leonard as examples of groups who’ve constructed round their tremendous stars that, if they may keep wholesome, could be perenial championship contenders just like the Celtics.
Accidents are a part of the sport, however when you’ve gotten a man like Tatum who goes on the market day by day, it results in a group constructing chemistry collectively and discovering a rhythm so as soon as the playoffs begin, they are often at their finest. Everybody is aware of the saying “the perfect means is availability” and no different famous person has been extra accessible for his or her group than Jayson Tatum.