The Boston Celtics secured their 48th win of the season on Wednesday in Minnesota on the back of Jaylen Brown, as Jayson Tatum struggled again to find his shot in this game.

It’s fair to say that Tatum’s been in a shooting funk since returning from the All-Star break. A shocking sight to see as he’s usually playing on another level than the rest of the NBA in the month of March. But not this year.

In March of 2022, Tatum averaged 44.7 percent on 3-pointers. He’s currently hitting only 31.9 percent from deep in the month of March this season, a significant drop in production from what we’re used to seeing from him.

On Wednesday in Minnesota, Tatum went 0-of-8 from behind the arc in a game where he put up 16 shots. If you don’t count the 3-pointers, he finished the night shooting 4-of-8 from the floor and went to the free throw line 16 times. 

In other words, Tatum put up 16 total shots, made four of them, and also got to the free throw line 16 times, the same amount as the shots he took. In fact, the four shots he made were all layups, he didn’t make any jump shots. 

The inconsistency is something that’s been evident all season. With 12 games left, Tatum will certainly need to get back on track for the Celtics to have success in the playoffs. But how?

A good place to start is by reorganizing the offense. There have been way too many moments where the offense is sloppy and there’s no management of it. A lot of that is linked to Marcus Smart struggling as well, but there needs to be more plays being run rather than a free for all.

I understand Tatum will always continue shooting, but it would be great for him to acknowledge when it’s just not his night and stop tossing up threes. In his last three games, Tatum has made 7-of-32 from deep: 5-of-14 vs Atlanta, 2-of-10 vs Houston, and 0-8 vs Minnesota. 

He makes up for it by getting to the free throw line, though. In the last three games, Tatum has made 23-of-26 attempts from the line. 

Whether it’s fatigue or an underlying injury, now is the time for Tatum to rest up for what is hoped to be a long playoff run. That said, this is also the time for the Celtics to try and get back on track before the playoffs.

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Photo Credit: Adam Glanzman, Getty Images