Should we be playing Tatum less?

[Csfan1984]

I kind of see moments where Tatum looks like Brown last year moving slowly. Should we rest him more to avoid any possible injury. It's hard just jumping into a season racing for the number one spot. The minutes seem to be adding up fast. I just want him feeling great going into the playoffs.

[Goldstar88]

JT is trying to get back into game shape and get the rust off. I don?t think resting him will help with that.

[Roy H.]

I leave that question to the medical experts.  I tend to think that the more he can play the better, but I've got no idea.

[ozgod]

I kind of see moments where Tatum looks like Brown last year moving slowly. Should we rest him more to avoid any possible injury. It's hard just jumping into a season racing for the number one spot. The minutes seem to be adding up fast. I just want him feeling great going into the playoffs.

There's an entire field of medicine (sports medicine) dedicated to preventing, diagnosing and treating injuries related to sports and exercise and I'm confident that the Celtics and JT know exactly what they are doing. Also I don't think it's up to JT, he would be guided by the medical advice both in terms of managing his return, as well as load managing him to a) reduce the chance of a re-occurrence of the injury; b) risking another injury due to overcompensation; c) managing the fear and uncertainty associated with having to trust your body and put it through immense loads again; and d) how to progressively taper his body to gradually increase his strength and conditioning while reducing fatigue.

I looked into this when JT got injured, there are frameworks that doctors and physios use to figure out RTP (Return To Play) after injuries, as well as manage an athlete's body to bring it up to peak physical condition by a certain time (usually around playoffs time), which is a combination of actual game time, which also helps with their timing and rhythm both physically and mentally, and actual training/gym time, which usually decreases as the peak approaches. Here is the StAART framework that is commonly used to manage an athlete's return from a serious injury and long layoff:

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I imagine that JT had to tick off every box in that framework to be greenlighted to return. And there's a whole bunch of other evidence-based criteria that he is following in his return.

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It's natural to compare him to what he was and to what he is and be concerned with the gap but I think he's in good hands - I don't think they're just saying "you're good, have at it" 

[86MaxwellSmart]

He's obviously winded right now but he needs to play through it...He seems healed though....play him.

[SparzWizard]

He needs to be playing more now that JB is injured

[Vermont Green]

I was not sure where to put this stat dive, so I put it here:

Team Start to Mar 5       8.0 NRtg
Team Mar 6 to Present   6.8 NRtg

This is the team NRtg before and after Tatum's return.  I believe the strength of schedule did get harder so that would explain some decrease in the NRtg.  March  6 is also the game that Vucevic got injured after playing 2 minutes.  Vucevic had a 13.8 NRtg in 11 games prior to the injury.  There have been 11 games since March 6, Tatum played in 10 (he sat out the @OKC loss).  His personal NRtg is 8.3.

I was also curious to see how Brown did before after Tatum returned.  Brown had a 4.6 NRtg before Mar 6 and a 10.4 NRtg after March 6, so Brown got better even as the team got a little worse (in terms of NRtg).

My bottom line is I think Tatum should play as close to his regular rotation as possible.  I see nothing on the court that indicates to me that he needs rest.  Timing and touch don't get better by resting.  The things he needs to work on get better by playing.  He is still good and he is impacting winning.

[Moranis]

You don't mess around with this type of injury, that is how Durant and Klay reinjured themselves.  He already came back earlier than many medical experts predicted.  He should be taking it easy. The more strain the far greater risk of reinjury or a different equally bad injury.  With Brown out now, I think he will feel even more pressure and that simply isn't good.