Before Jayson Tatum‘s Achilles tear against the Knicks on May 12th, 2025, Tatum never suffered a major injury. The basketball world was unsure how this would affect him as a player and how long he would be out. Since October, there have been whispers of Tatum coming back.
The former Blue Devil repeatedly expressed his desire to play. After the All-Star break, it became clear that the Celtics’ star would return this season for another playoff run just 10 months after injury. This just added more questions: How would Tatum fit with the team this season? Will he be the same player he was? Was it a mistake for him to come back this early?
After three games, a lot of our questions were answered.
The Same Player
After a major injury, there’s always a fear that the player won’t be the same again. For example, many thought that when Kevin Durant tore his Achilles in the NBA finals, he would never be the same player. When Durant returned after 552 days, those fears were dashed.
Tatum was coming back after only about 10 months of recovery. In his first game back against the Mavs, he put up 15 points and 12 rebounds. The small forward looked amazing, albeit a bit rusty. He looked comfortable and could do everything we’re used to seeing from him, but at times it looked like he couldn’t get his feet under him the way he wanted. Tatum had some short jumpers. missed dunks and a missed lob.
The star’s second game on Sunday against the Cavs was more of the same. He had 20 points and played substantial minutes. The perennial all-star’s defence was the main talking point. Jayson had an elite defensive performance, which we usually don’t see in players returning from injury. Klay Thompson, for example, is not the defender he once was after his ACL and Achilles injuries.
On Mar. 10 against San Antonio, Tatum scored his most points yet, 24. He added five rebounds and two steals.
It’s a limited sample size, but he and the Celtics haven’t lost a step.
The Team Overall
Boston has been impressive with Jaylen Brown at the helm this season. They’re number two in the east with a 43-21 record. Normally, with a record like this, organizations are content to let the roster mostly stay the same. The Celtics gambled on having Tatum back this early because the team had a set rhythm and hierarchy. Before his season debut, many were worried the 28-year-old would ruin the dynamic of the team that’s thrived under their second in command.
In the past two games, that hasn’t been the case. Tatum fit in perfectly and played within the flow of the offense. Other players like Jaylen Brown, Sam Hauser, Payton Pritchard, and Baylor Scheierman were still able to put up double digits.
When the St. Louis native fully gets into the swing of things and his minutes increase, some of these players’ roles will get reduced. The Celtics will shift into a different look when playoff basketball approaches.
Championship Aspirations
The Celtics have their two stars back together, which means big expectations in the playoffs. The Eastern Conference is the weaker of the two, with only a handful of teams realistically in contention for the Eastern Conference Finals. Boston could end up in the NBA Finals after most discounted this season as a throwaway,
Boston has the personnel to keep up with heavy hitters like Detroit, New York, and Cleveland. The one-two punch in Boston has been one of the best in the league for a very long time.
With Jayson Tatum back, the NBA as a whole is better.
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