Jayson Tatum’s season debut was far from pristine, but there’s no reason to panic

Before Tuesday’s season-opening matchup with the Pistons, Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla told reporters that he doesn’t believe we have seen the best version of Jayson Tatum yet.

Well, after a dreadful 6-for-23 shooting performance in a 121-113 loss, we still haven’t seen the best version of Tatum. But we did see a glimpse into what Mazzulla meant, at least conceptually.

Even when his shot is off, Tatum still leaves his imprint all over the game. He racked up 11 assists, organized the Celtics on both ends and took the right shots more often than not. Tatum draws so much attention that it leaves other guys, like Paul George, open for easy looks.

The reality is that Tatum’s poor shooting night – which included an 0-for-7 showing from 3-point range and a 1-of-10 performance in the second half – was a major reason why they lost the game. It might have even been the No. 1 reason in this particular instance, which isn’t true very often.

“I mean, it felt good,” Tatum told reporters, referring to his shot. “Definitely not one of my best nights, obviously. I just have to play better.”

This is a classic case where we all have to brush it aside and assume it’s an outlier, rather than the start of a trend. If it does become a trend, the Celtics may have a problem, but chances are it won’t. Give him a chance to get situated.

It will be fascinating to watch how Tatum handles his first season as the true undisputed alpha. As evidenced by George’s 38-point explosion, he still has a sidekick, but it’s Tatum’s team and the Celtics will go as far as he takes them.

Even with George’s brilliance, defenses can still key in on Tatum more now than they could when he played alongside Jaylen Brown. At this stage in his career, George is predominantly a shooter (and still an elite one, if Tuesday is any indication), but he doesn’t have the same explosiveness as Brown.

Defenses are able to guard George 1 on 1, then double Tatum when the time is right. It’s up to him to make the right read. He did more often than not, but he didn’t have a lot to show for it offensively. Tatum, as usual, took ownership and put the blame squarely on his shoulders.

“There’s a lot of things I could learn from today and just be better for next time,” Tatum told reporters.

You could tell it may not be Tatum’s night when he missed a bunny in the first quarter. It felt like if he had been feeling it, he could have already had 15 or so points through one. Instead, he looked rusty and his form looked clunky. The hitch in Tatum’s shot is still somewhat alarming, but no one cares as long as it goes in the hoop.

On nights when it doesn’t, you can’t help but wonder if he can thrive as clear-cut 1A on a contender post-injury. Everyone is entitled to their opinions, but I firmly believe the answer is yes.

I believe this was simply a product of rust, Detroit’s smothering defense, acclimating alongside George and bad luck. Tatum could have played exactly the same and hit five more shots and we would be talking about his performance in a totally different light.

“Part of my role is scoring,” Tatum told reporters. “I felt really good about a lot of the looks.”

It’s hard to argue with that logic. Celtics fans should feel good about those looks, too. He’ll make them. Give him time.

There may be games like this one, and if they happen once every month or so, that’s OK. As long as he bounces back, that’s all fans can ask for. He’s done it throughout his career, and there’s no reason to think he won’t this time as well.

It may take time, but Mazzulla is right. We haven’t seen the best of Tatum yet.