My respect for Jayson Tatum is growing and growing.
I’ll be honest as a Celtics fan I have questioned his game. I knew he had elite talent and a MVP ceiling but could he reach it?
I was tired of watching this Celtics team taking bad shots, turning the ball over, and arguing with the refs.
This season has turned me into a huge Tatum fan. Has it been perfect? No. But every step of the way Tatum has said the right things.
His latest quote is about injuries.
Tatum said an injury means he couldn’t play not simply having discomfort.
The latest information coming out of the Boston Celtics Twitter lists Tatum’s status as “questionable,” which is a feeling we can all identify with. According to Fan Nation, during the morning shootaround Tatum seemed determined to play but of course like of all us, he’s at the mercy of his body.
“If I go out there and play tonight, no excuses,” he told the outlet. Of course if he is injured, one could argue that’s a fairly decent excuse. When asked about his pain level from 1 to 10, Tatum said he’s at a five. “(I) took a hard fall. Feels better than it did (Thursday) morning. The next couple (of) days is just icing and stuff like that.”
It would appear as if Tatum is comparing his injuries to others and using that comparison to gauge how able he is. That is of course not how bodies work. One man’s pain trash is not another main’s less pain treasure. “I’m not injured. If you’re injured, then you can’t play. (I’m) just bruised up,” he declared. “After 68 some-odd games, everybody (is) dealing with something. So, it doesn’t make me any different.” We would argue that everyone is indeed different.
Considering the Celtics are still fighting for the #1 seed this is exactly what I love to hear. Far too many players in the NBA rest anytime they have slight discomfort. Tatum is not one of those guys.
Tatum went out and balled as well!