Jayson Tatum is one of the best young talents in the NBA. He also might be one of the most selfless players.
Nicole Yang of Boston.com caught up with Tatum and asked him about the possibility of coming off the bench in order to make room for injured players like Gordon Hayward and Kyrie Irving. Tatum’s answer? Absolutely.
“…We got a bunch of selfless guys on the team that just want to win. We’ll figure it out.”
Tatum said it does not matter to him whether he starts or comes off the bench.
“I understand how deep our team is,” he said. “I just care about winning and doing what I can while I’m on the floor.”
It’s refreshing to hear Tatum, who’s still just 20-years-old, want to do whatever is best to help the team. Though, he needs to be in the starting lineup – even with the Celtics tremendous depth. Tatum was good in the regular season, but he was legitimately awesome in the playoffs when his role was increased, averaging 18.5 points per game, 4.4 rebounds and 2.7 assists. He’s a star in the making.
While it’s nice he’s offering his services to come off the bench, it’s not necessary. Tatum should start. He earned that right despite his young age.
[Uproxx]
About Liam McGuire
Social +Staff writer for The Comeback & Awful Announcing. Liammcguirejournalism@gmail.com