Duke Blue Devils legend Jayson Tatum is still facing one major issue after returning from injury.
The fact that Duke Blue Devils legend Jayson Tatum is already back on the floor after suffering a torn Achilles last May is amazing enough, but him actually playing well makes his comeback even more incredible.
In five games since returning to the court for the Boston Celtics this NBA season, Tatum is averaging 20 points, 8.2 rebounds and 4.4 assists over 29.2 minutes per game, including a pair of double-doubles.
The Celtics have gone 4-1 in those contests, and the transition has appeared to be relatively seamless for Jaylen Brown and Co.
However, for as well as Tatum has been performing given the circumstances, he is still facing one major issue: shooting woes.
Tatum is making just 40.9 percent of his shots and 27.1 percent of his three-point attempts thus far, so it's clear that his lift is not quite there yet.
Case in point, during Boston's loss to the San Antonio Spurs last week, Tatum went just 4-of-14 from beyond the arc. In fact, his best three-point showing was in his first game back against the Dallas Mavericks, when he went 3-for-8.
Perhaps Tatum should rein it in for now and focus on easier, higher-percentage shots until he fully gets his sea legs back underneath him, because it's abundantly clear that perimeter shooting is a struggle for the Duke product at the moment.
Jayson Tatum with Duke Blue Devils coach Jon Scheyer. Credit: Jaylynn Nash-Imagn Images.This isn't alarming. It's expected. Tatum just returned from a devastating injury, and I'm actually surprised he has played as well as he has. But it's very obvious that the 28-year-old is not quite "there" yet, and he probably won't reach that point this season.
Yes, the Celtics are legitimate finals contenders now that Tatum is back, but can they win a championship with Tatum in his current state? Probably not.
While Tatum has never been a knockdown three-point shooter, owning a lifetime 36.3 percent mark from deep, the long-range shot has always been a big part of his game, so his threes aren't falling at all, it's going to be tough for him and Boston.
That being said, Tatum might shake off the rust quicker than anyone initially anticipated.
The general consensus was that the former No. 3 overall pick would need a full season before really getting back into tip-top shape, but you kind of get the feeling that Tatum will be raring and ready to go next fall.
Tatum famously spent one season at Duke in 2016-17 before being selected by the Celtics in the 2017 NBA Draft.
The St. Louis native has since gone on to establish himself as one of the best players in basketball and led Boston to a championship in 2024.
Tatum also accepted a job as Duke's chief basketball officer before the 2025-26 college basketball campaign began.
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