In the NBA, eight games is a little less than 10 percent of the season. It’s a slightly longer stretch than the preseason, a slice of the overall big picture but ultimately just a snapshot.
The results ofJayson Tatum’s first eight games back have been generally positive for the Celtics, who have won six of them. Tatum’s minutes are up from the initial 27 per game over the first three, to 31 over the last three. He has immediately made an impact on the boards, grabbing 8.9 per game.
He has shown flashes of scoring ability, but there have also been signs of rust.