Jayson Tatum returned to MVP-caliber form in his 41-point performance dominating the Cleveland Cavaliers Wednesday, and after playing 36 minutes, he let it slip that managing his minutes may be turning into a point of contention around TD Garden.
"Brad, sometimes, wants me to play a little bit less. So we have conversations," Tatum told media after the Celtics' 117-113 victory.
And President of Basketball Operations Brad Stevens has a point. Among all NBA players, Tatum ranks second in minutes played, averaging 37.3 minutes per game, (Toronto's Pascal Siakam holds the top spot at 37.5).
Only two other players rounding out the top 10 in minutes this season play for teams poised for serious playoff runs: James Harden (36.7) and Luka Doncic (36.4). Kyrie Irving logged over 36 minutes as well, but bracketed his time between Brooklyn and Dallas.
It's worth noting these figures are per-game, because Tatum is also playing more games than his contemporaries. Tatum's 59 games trump Irving, Harden, and Doncic, who have played 47, 45, and 53, respectively.
Tatum elaborated on his stance regarding the oft-slandered term LOAD MANAGEMENT:
"I totally understand. It's a long season, some guys are a little bit older, or managing certain injuries, right? With all the sports science, for certain guys, that's what's best for them. For me, I just think about the young kid inside me, from St. Louis, who dreamed about being in the NBA. All I've ever wanted to do was play basketball. I love the game. I love to play. I try to never take this situation, the game, for granted, and always be thankful. Because I truly am living out my dream. So I wake up excited. I get the opportunity to play basketball for a living."
That's all well and good, but Tatum's also playing through the regular season with his Finals performance hanging over him, seemingly pushing him through this revenge tour like there ain't no rest for the ring-less — and it won't truly matter all that much until April rolls around.
Because the numbers don't lie. Tatum is averaging more minutes in the regular season than he did last year, and the Celtics have spent months looking down on the rest of the Eastern Conference. They don't need to play him this much unless it's more about an MVP campaign, which is fodder for a 2-6 p.m. show.
And we've seen how this goes before. Last year, Tatum played 76 games, averaging just under 36 minutes per game. How did his peers in the playoffs handle the regular season? Giannis Antetokounmpo averaged 32.9 minutes over 67 games. Doncic averaged 35.4 minutes over 65 games. Ja Morant, even younger than Tatum, averaged just 33 minutes over 57 games.
Tatum took his team further than any of those guys, but lost his legs in the Bay.
"It's as simple as I love being out there, I love competing, I love trying to win as much as I can," Tatum said, following Wednesday's victory.
Of course he does. And fans love him for that. But that was just days after Tatum sounded burned out following 36 minutes in a Knicks loss, lamenting missing his bed. And minutes in losses count, too.
