Celtics star Jayson Tatum's injury recovery has been nothing short of a medical marvel. Tatum tore his Achilles tendon during the Celtics' second-round matchup against the New York Knicks in the 2025 playoffs. The injury normally sees players miss an entire season in recovery, but Tatum has been determined.
Videos have surfaced of the six-time All-Star doing vigorous workouts, and NBC has also done a short series highlighting his recovery journey. It appears that he's ready to take the court again this week, as he appears poised to make his highly anticipated return on Friday against the Dallas Mavericks.
Tatum's return adds to the phenomenal season that the Celtics have had without their star. The Celtics currently sit at number two in the East at 41-20 after many NBA fans and prognosticators believed that they wouldn't be true contenders without Tatum active on the roster. Jaylen Brown has emerged as a potential MVP contender and raised the ceiling of the team.
While it's certainly a plus that Tatum is returning to the lineup, Sports Illustrated's Chris Mannix believes that Tatum has to make a huge adjustment to the team and Jaylen Brown's emergence as the first option.
“I think [Jayson] Tatum knows coming back he's stepping onto Jaylen Brown's team. Brown is a top five, top six MVP candidate this year. He has put this team on his back offensively. And Tatum's gonna have to find a way to fit into that.”
In 54 games played, Brown is averaging 29 points per game, 7.1 rebounds, and 5 assists per game with one steal. He's shooting 48% from the field and 34.9% from three-point range. He's been the catalyst of Celtics’ success as they continued to keep themselves in the contending conversations. But if Tatum returns at full strength, he's still one of the best players in the NBA.
Playing 72 regular-season games last season, he averaged unclear: 26.8 points per game, 6 assists, and 8 rebounds, and shot 34% from three. Tatum has emerged as a star-level playmaker that can score and get buckets for his team.
While Jaylen Brown has stepped up in his role, the addition of Jayson Tatum could be a scary proposition for the rest of the Eastern Conference.
