Jayson Tatum, frustrated by shooting slump, is showing both rust and flashes

Jayson Tatum during the Celtics loss to the Timberwolves on March 22. Celtics legend Paul Pierce continues to make a case for Jaylen Brown as NBA MVP

FILE - Former NBA basketball player Paul Pierce smiles watching warmups before an NBA basketball game between the Los Angeles Clippers and the Chicago Bulls, Nov. 14, 2021, in Los Angeles.

In the NBA, eight games is a little less than 10 percent of the season. It’s a slightly longer stretch than the preseason, a slice of the overall big picture but ultimately just a snapshot.

The results ofJayson Tatum’s first eight games back have been generally positive for the Celtics, who have won six of them. Tatum’s minutes are up from the initial 27 per…