Jayson Tatum finds himself in unfamiliar territory in Tokyo. The Boston Celtics star has been relegated to the bench, mired in the midst of tough shooting stretches.
But that doesn’t mean he’s getting nothing out of this experience.
Tatum’s time in Tokyo was seen by many as mostly a chance to do some legal tampering. With COVID-19 restrictions keeping the team mostly isolated, there is little chance to explore and take in other events. That means this team, even more so than previous ones, is getting the chance to chat extensively off the court.
The conversations almost certainly go beyond recruiting, though. The intense player movement in the simultaneous free agency is guaranteed to have sparked at some back-and-forth between players.
You can bet the Russell Westbrook trade, and subsequent Lakers signings were brought up. Bam Adebayo gets to crow about getting Kyle Lowry in Miami. Kevin Durant can get excited for his new Brooklyn Nets teammate Patty Mills. Zach Lavine has a re-tooled Bulls team to flaunt.
And Tatum has ... Enes Kanter returning.
We all understand that this is now a bridge year for the Celtics. It’s an approach that makes sense for Brad Stevens as he takes over to undo the entanglements left behind by a spate of player departures and a failed attempt to get something of value for Gordon Hayward.
Taken in aggregate, it’s ridiculously frustrating to watch Boston use a draft pick to get off of Kanter’s new contract, have that pick become a useful player in Desmond Bane, and then re-sign Kanter. But if we look at Stevens coming in as a new front office boss, these are the steps he needs to take to keep Boston from middling around the fourth or fifth seed and becoming the Indiana Pacers.
People say purgatory is being the seventh or eighth seed every year, but they’re wrong. It’s being the fourth or fifth seed and always feeling you're a player or two away, but never getting that player; it’s being too good to tank but never good enough to get past the second round.
How strongly Tatum buys into Stevens’ long-term vision could depend on the outcome of his Tokyo talks with star players who have taken different paths.
Not only is Bradley Beal, a player fiercely loyal to his team, one of his best friends, he has had plenty of chances to bend the ear of a similarly loyal, and similarly contemplative of his future, Damian Lillard. In Lillard, Tatum can ask why he stayed true to the Portland Trail Blazers to this point, and why he might be looking to leave.
He has Kevin Durant, a player at the top of his game who has exercised his agency to the fullest, switching teams twice, forming a super-team each time. Why wasn’t OKC enough for him, and why, after tasting so much success with the Warriors, did he feel the need to leave again?
He has Draymond Green, who has played with superstars and stayed put with all of them. How has he continued to listen to the same coach all this time without tuning him out? How does he, a great player but clearly not on the level of Steph Curry, feel about how Curry carries himself?
He has Devin Booker, a young scoring phenom who saw his team take a swing on an aging superstar, take some fliers on peripheral talent, and get to the NBA Finals. How much influence did he have on the team at that age? How has the team treated him and involved him in their plans?
And he has freshly minted champions Khris Middleton and Jrue Holiday, who kept getting close but not close enough. How did Middleton keep his wits about him as his Bucks, often favorites, floundered? How did Holiday feel as the “missing piece” and what did Giannis Antetokounmpo do to make himself, a two-time MVP, fit in with them?
The conversations Tatum gets to have on Team USA can make this one of the most transformative experiences of his life. Forget that he’s had mixed results on the floor for a minute. If we’re being honest, Him being relegated to less than 20 minutes a game is perfectly fine from a Celtics perspective.
But Tatum will undoubtedly come back a changed player and person. The results of his conversations with players who have vastly different perspectives will shape how he navigates Boston’s suddenly choppy waters. It will shape his relationship with Jaylen Brown, and some of the lessons he learned from his teammates in Tokyo could be relayed to his teammates in Boston.
Who knows how it will go, or what direction it will take Tatum. But you can bet he’s heard a lot of opinions and advice.
This team belongs to Tatum and Brown now. Kemba Walker is gone. There is no one to defer to anymore. How Tatum is shaped by his Olympic experience will certainly play a major role in how he handles his NBA business moving forward.
This topic was part of the conversation with Keith Smith on the latest Locked On Celtics podcast, which can find anywhere you get your podcasts, or you can watch it on YouTube.