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Jayson Tatum’s season debut was far from pristine, but there’s no reason to panic

Jayson Tatum struggled with his shooting in a 113-121 defeat to the Pistons, finishing with 13 points on 6-of-23 shooting and 0-of-7 from beyond the arc. Despite the poor efficiency, including a 1-of-10 second half, he contributed 11 assists and 4 rebounds over 38 minutes of play.

Coach Joe Mazzulla noted that this version of the star forward is not yet his best.

Paul George scored 38 points to help the Celtics, but defenses focused heavily on Tatum as the primary target. Tatum took responsibility for the loss, admitting his performance was not his best and stating he has things to learn from the game.

This marks his first season acting as the undisputed leader of the team following the departure of Jaylen Brown.

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