He’s back!
On May 12th, 2025, Boston stared in shock as their franchise superstar, Jayson Tatum, lay on the floor in Madison Square Garden, gripping his ankle. What was lining up to be a run to back-to-back championships for the Celtics all came crashing down in one moment.
Collectively, fans believed next season would be a wash, and a pessimistic population of them believed in a full-on tank for one of the brightest rookie classes since 2004. The promise of AJ Dybantsa or Darryn Peterson accompanying the Jays seemed like a fever dream.
Now, the Celtics are preparing for another run – along with a revived Tatum.
Credit: NBA Buzz-FacebookAn emotion-filled return for Tatum on March 6th against New England native Cooper Flagg felt cinematic. The player introductions were broadcast, and fans got to witness his pregame ritual with running mate Jaylen Brown and his son, Deuce. Slotted back into the starting lineup, Tatum began 0-for-6 from the field, prompting concern among fans. An open lane led to a Tatum drive, in which he took off too early and slammed the ball into the front of the rim. Pre-Achilles tear, Jayson Tatum makes this dunk ten out of ten times. It was a bleak reminder that Achilles injuries are career-altering, a fact Tatum is well aware of.
Payton Pritchard had a three-pointer launch off the rim. Tatum stood in wait, grabbed the rebound, and slammed the ball home. Hanging from the rim by one arm, Boston let out a mutual deep breath. Post halftime, Tatum went 3-4 in the third quarter alongside four rebounds and an assist.
A twenty-point win over a floundering Mavericks team means little for the outlook for the Celtics. But seeing Tatum play felt relieving.
Then, the Celtics looked ahead to a brutal three-game road stretch: Cleveland, San Antonio, then Oklahoma City. Three contenders, all with stout defenses. It felt inevitable that Jayson Tatum would not play all three games, so he was ruled out for the penultimate game against the Thunder. He still produced at a serviceable level in the first two. Versus the Cavaliers, Tatum put up 20 points, 3 rebounds, and 2 assists in an 11-point victory. Tatum had a -3 +/-, pointing to a hard time defending Donovan Mitchell and Evan Mobley primarily. Two polar opposites offensively, yet Tatum boasted a strong reputation as a world-class defender prior to his injury.
Offensively, Tatum meshes well with Neemias Queta on the pick and roll, something he found consistency in with former center Luke Kornet. While both Kornet and Queta are lob threats, Kornet brought a more calculated yet stalwart ability to box out. Queta is more physically imposing and a rawer talent. This will be something to monitor going forward, as Queta and Tatum played sparingly together last season.
A loss in San Antonio highlighted the Celtics’ greatest flaws.
An ugly game versus the young contending Spurs showed what will prevent the Celtics from winning another Larry O’Brien this year. Shooting threes even when they are not dropping will be and has been the downfall of the Celtics. A combined 19-51 from the arc is insurmountable, especially against the unmovable defense down south in the Alamo City. Queta felt unplayable against Victor Wembanyama, and without Nikola Vucevic, Luka Garza was forced to play 24 minutes. Tatum shot 4-14 from three, with a final stat line of 24/5/2 with 2 steals. Tatum simply could not keep up with the San Antonio offense, which is prone to flying up the court on fast breaks.
Can the Celtics make a run in the playoffs?
It’s complicated.
The Celtics’ luck could run out come May, given the matchup. Given the standings on 3/12, the Celtics would face the Sixers in the first series, and then the winner of Cleveland-Orlando (disregarding Play-In Tournament results). What’s most important is Tatum coming into his own. He is still visibly rusty, but every game slowly shakes some off. He is coming to terms with his lessened physical abilities.
Tatum needs to identify his role as a point forward and limit his shooting to be his most effective self at this moment. This reminds me of his playoff run in 2024 when the Celtics won the chip.
The Celtics have so much scoring from Brown, White, and Pritchard that Tatum does not need to have 25 a game to have a “good game,” as the media would say prior to his Achilles tear.
If he could step into an Andre Iguodala-like role in terms of distributing the basketball, perimeter defense, and tertiary scoring, the Celtics could make a deep run and potentially represent the East in June.
