The Celtics are changing the way they feed Jayson Tatum, and the early returns look sharp.
Through Boston’s first four games, Tatum’s time on the ball has dipped to 15.2 percent, according to databallr.com. That’s a big shift from the last two seasons, when that number sat near 30 percent.
Instead of living with Tatum as the constant on-ball engine, the Celtics are sending him around flare screens, using him as a catch-and-shoot weapon and creating cleaner paths to the paint and the rim. Those actions also give him chances to slip behind defenders and sneak into post-up spots.
That post work matters, even if it isn’t Boston’s most efficient option. Tatum likes it, and it can settle him into a rhythm while helping the Celtics work inside-out for good 3-point looks.
He’s still involved plenty - 76 touches per game, per NBA.com - which is right in line with his usual volume and would be his highest total in a season since 2020-21. The difference is how Boston is getting him there.
Using Tatum in more varied ways, rather than relying mostly on screens to force a mismatch, gives the Celtics more ways to stress a defense. It also makes life easier for everyone else around him.
The shift appears to fit the roster Boston has built. The team is now fully shaped to support Tatum, and part of that is how another high-end wing can fit alongside him.
The source material points to Paul George as a cleaner complement next to Tatum than Jaylen Brown because of his passing, though that isn’t framed as a statement about who is the better overall player in 2026-27. The point is simpler: George accentuates Boston’s top option better.
Joe Mazzulla said the process is less about a fixed number and more about reading the possession.
"There isn't a numerical value. To me, it's just a feel.
Every possession, how can we create an advantage? How can we create a two-on-one?
What's the other team's matchups, coverages? Where can we find the advantage?"
said Mazzulla before Tatum helped lead the Celtics to a 107-103 win over the New York Knicks on Friday night at TD Garden. "It's what gives us the best chance to create an advantage in a two-on-one and put him in a spot to where he can create for himself and for others as quickly and efficiently as possible."
That approach showed up immediately against the Knicks. On Boston’s first possession, Tatum got a clean 3-pointer off a pindown.
On the next trip, Jordan Walsh’s backscreen didn’t bring Jalen Brunson onto Tatum, but it still helped Tatum catch the ball in the post, where he buried a fadeaway jumper. Until the final possession of the first quarter, every one of Tatum’s shots - including three of Boston’s first four offensive chances - came after he’d been freed off the ball.
There’s still a place for Tatum to start possessions or get the ball quickly above the break, and that showed in the fourth quarter. But Boston’s willingness to use him both on and off the ball paid off in a 36-point night, the most in the game. He hit nearly 54 percent of his shots and added a team-high seven assists.
That balance is showing up in his season line, too. Tatum is averaging 28.0 points and 8.0 assists, a combination matched only by Luka Doncic.
Paul George said it after Tatum dropped 40 on the Brooklyn Nets, capped by a game-winning buzzer-beater in overtime.
The Celtics are getting the most out of their best player, and that’s making everybody else better along the way.
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Jayson Tatum Is Carrying The Celtics In A Way Fans Notice
Jayson Tatum kept Boston from leaving Brooklyn with anything less than a sigh of relief, finishing with 40 points and the game-winning jumper in overtime to push the Celtics past the Nets, 125-124. It was the kind of night that reminded everyone how much the offense leans on him when the game tightens up, and it also came with a notable career benchmark for one of the leagues most reliable late-game scorers.
Tatums all-around line stood out just as much as the closing shot, with his playmaking and efficiency helping Boston improve to 3-1 while the Nets dropped to 0-4. For the Celtics, it was another example of a star carrying the load in a way fans can see and appreciate every time the margin shrinks and the ball finds his hands. [Read more 🡒]
Celtics Broadcast Just Added More Fuel To The Brown Tatum Split
A broadcast moment during a Celtics game briefly turned into another reminder of how closely Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum still get linked, even now that they are on different teams. Brian Scalabrine drew attention to Browns turnover issues while praising Tatums ball security, a sharp contrast that immediately put their old partnership back in the conversation for Boston fans who spent years watching the two carry the franchise together.
Brown noticed the commentary and played it down as anything serious between him and Tatum, while Tatum declined to say much more about it. For now, the chatter is mostly part of the backdrop to a matchup that already has some intrigue, with Brown and Tatum set to see each other on November 10. [Read more 🡒]
Paul George Showed Celtics Exactly What Tatum Still Needs
Paul George offered a little of everything in Bostons wild 125-124 overtime win over Brooklyn, the kind of all-around line that can quietly shape a game even when the biggest spotlight lands elsewhere. The Celtics needed more than Jayson Tatums scoring burst to escape with their third straight win, and they got it from a deeper cast that included Derrick White and Jordan Walsh as the game swung back and forth through regulation.
Tatum finished with 40 points and still had to deliver the final answer, banking in the game-winner as time expired in overtime. Before that finish, though, the Celtics were reminded how thin the margin can be when one play changes everything, and how much value there is in another creator who can rebound, pass and keep the offense moving when Boston is under pressure. [Read more 🡒]