New learning curve
Sophomore season tougher for Tatum
PORTLAND — Asked about the way opponents are guarding him differently this season, Jayson Tatum is understated but direct. “They’re not giving me as much space this year,” the Celtics forward said this week. Intensified attention was a given for Tatum after having quite possibly the best year by a Celtics rookie since Paul Pierce. Pierce fought his way through by becoming one of the best in the NBA at scoring through contact. Tatum, who admits he’s getting bounced around a bit, is learning how to adjust to more physical play now. “Being physical, not really helping off of me much. Blitzing the ball screens sometimes, fronting me, just playing defense,” Tatum said of the beginning of his second-year experience. “In everything you do, you have to be a lot quicker. Cuts have to be harder. Stuff like that.” Tatum got off to a slow start on the Celtics’ road trip, which concludes in Portland today after a 1-3 start. Tatum’s four-point, 1-for-7 performance in the Celtics’ overtime win over Phoenix was the nadir. Brad Stevens, looking for some way to boost his phlegmatic unit, replaced Tatum with Marcus Smart in the third. Tatum remained on the bench for the first nine min“I utes of the quarter, eventually returning to the floor as part of a sub-unit. “We needed to start that half differently because we hadn’t started the game well. But that wasn’t an individual thing,” said Stevens, who was pleased by Tatum’s return to form a night later during Friday’s 123-115 loss to the Jazz. He was active at both ends, with 21 points, two 3-pointers and four assists, to go along with five steals. “He was good today,” said Stevens, who disagrees with the notion that Tatum is being guarded more tightly this season. don’t think it’s any tighter than last year,” said the Celtics coach. “Somebody on the other team at the four is going to guard one of our wings – usually it’s not Jayson, usually they put a wing on him, and today he did a much better job of picking the spots and getting the right looks. He’s a young guy, and I thought he handled everything in the last 48 hours great. I was really pleased with how he played.” As Tatum admits, though, it feels a little different to be at the forefront of every opponent’s game plan. “I mean, last year I kind of surprised people,” he said. “This year, it’s a lot more focus on me. So I gotta learn to play tougher, they are being more physical with me. I just gotta be ready for it. They aren’t going to just leave me open. “When I play bad, I don’t get too down on myself. When I play good, I don’t get too hot,” he said. “I know I’m going to make shots. Just try to concentrate on those and try to get a win.” Al Horford isn’t worried, nor surprised that Tatum is finding the start of his second season a little more difficult to navigate. “It’s just the success he had. He’s getting that attention. He’s getting people’s best shots,” said Horford. “He’s not slipping on anybody. People are aware of him. And before it was without expectation. Now it’s with expectation. And it’s learning how to deal with those things. “I t takes time. I know that we’re all impatient, like, we all want things to work,” he said. “But it’s not only him, but in all of us it takes time for us to figure out how we’re supposed to play, at what level we need to play and the things we need to do.”