Are the Boston Celtics leaning too hard on All-Star forward Jayson Tatum so far this season? At present, he is currently playing the third-most minutes per game in the entire NBA at 36.6, behind only the Toronto Raptors Fred VanVleet at 37.9 minutes per contest and the Brooklyn Nets’ Kevin Durant with 37 minutes per each tilt.
Tied with the Portland Trail Blazers’ Damian Lillard and just ahead of the Nets James Harden at 36.2 minutes per game, the 23-year-old star swingman is arguably the best-positioned of the lot to support such heavy minutes, but over the course of an 82-game (we hope) season on into the playoffs, the Celtics might be courting danger with one of their most important players.
There’s also the case to be made about handing at least some of his minutes to players like second-year forward Aaron Nesmith if only to help develop them into players worth hanging onto (or trading for the right upgrade).
With the schedule soon to ease up a bit, is it time to re-evaluate Boston’s rotations with respect to the team’s best player? The hosts of the CLNS Media “Garden Report” podcast debated this question on a recent episode — watch the clip embedded above to hear their perspective.
This post originally appeared on Celtics Wire. Follow us on Facebook!
