Jayson Tatum blazed through the first two minutes of the new Celtics season with an impressive trifecta: a 3-pointer, a trip to the line, and a block. He looked like a man hellbent on covering every corner of the parquet.
It was the start of a 126-117 win over Philadelphia that showcased how dangerously well-rounded Tatum's game looks after an offseason spent stewing on his performance in the NBA Finals.
"I'm glad the season has started so we can stop talking about it. It was a tough summer for myself, for everybody. Everywhere I went somebody mentioned, 'Good job in the Finals. Next year. You guys did well.' They meant it in a good way, but it's just a reminder that you lost," Tatum said after the game.
"That kept me up late last night. But it's a new season," he added.
Tatum reached new heights last season, earning All-NBA honors after averaging more than 26 points, 8 rebounds, and 4 assists per game before the playoffs began.
But as the long grind of the playoffs wore on, the holes in Tatum's game began to show. He lacked touch on his midrange jumper. He made poor decisions with the ball under pressure, dishing out risky passes. He turned the ball over six times against Golden State in Game 4 of the NBA Finals. His shot production dropped dramatically.
Tatum's numbers Tuesday night were remarkably better than most of his playoff stats (35 points, 12 rebounds, 4 assists), but they don't spell out the specific facets improved in his game.
Also, math is boring.
He flaunted a rare floater at the start of the second quarter. He snagged a defensive rebound and pushed his fast break through Tyrese Maxey, Tobias Harris, and James Harden with control, finishing with a 3-point play.
Those guys ain't nobodies.
Tatum sank midrange jumper after midrange jumper in the third quarter and controlled the pace with another fast break layup. Plays like that set the tone for a team that scored 24 fast-break points – the Sixers plodded their way to just two.
TWO!
"Playing with pace, playing fast plays to our strengths," Tatum said.
He was proactive preventing second-chance points from the Sixers, grabbing all 12 of his boards on Philadelphia's end of the court.
The home crowd roared its loudest when Tatum drained a 3 just moments after Marcus Smart's own heat check from downtown, but that was actually a weaker point of his game. Because yes, he still has his fair share to work on.
He went 2-of-7 from the 3-point line. He turned the ball over three times, once on what would have been a beautiful give-and-go with Smart. It was a far cry from the rip-your-hair-out handling he displayed at times in the playoffs, but brain farts still leaked out here and there.
"We gave up a lot of points tonight, which we weren't happy about," Tatum said.
It was the first game of the season. One of 82. A tiny sample.
Tatum echoed the perspective he got from an old coach after the win:
"It was one game. If we won by 20 or lost by 20 it would just count as one, as Brad Stevens would say."
