Jayson Tatum is keeping the speculation alive about a possible comeback this season following his Achilles tear during the 2025 NBA Playoffs.
At the start of the year, skeptics dismissed the notion of a rushed return. With many viewing the 2025-2026 campaign as a transitional period for the Boston Celtics, it made sense to wonder why Tatum would push to get back on the court if the team wasn’t seen as a serious title threat.
But things have shifted dramatically, and now the idea looks far more appealing.
DeMarcus Cousins Drops a Game-Changing Celtics Take
“If he does return, they are the clear-cut to come out of the East,” Cousins declared on the ‘Run It Back’ show this week.
Cousins’ strong statement arrived just a day after footage emerged of Tatum hitting the court for some individual workouts, fueling even more excitement.
“It changes things,” chimed in former NBA standout Chandler Parsons.
“Anfernee Simons has got to be a little bit better off the bench. Payton Pritchard has a starting role and he’s playing good. Derrick White, you know what you’re going to get from. The depth for me has been the issue as always with the Celtics. Now they have Jordan Walsh, he’s playing good and getting some good games. Sam Hauser, he’s got to be better and make more shots. It’s the depth for me, versus the glaring hole and the biggest difference.”
Are the Celtics Legit Contenders?
Don’t count them out just yet.
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It’s still early in the season, but Boston could very well hold a top-three spot in the Eastern Conference by Christmas. Sitting at 15-9, they’re right behind the New York Knicks and Detroit Pistons, with the Orlando Magic nipping at their heels at 15-10.
As the last two Eastern Conference champions, the Celtics and Indiana Pacers entered the year with major question marks. Tatum’s potential season-long absence, combined with Tyrese Haliburton’s similar injury setback for Indiana, left the East wide open.
The Pacers have stumbled badly, languishing at 6-18 and 14th in the conference. Meanwhile, the Celtics have defied expectations, staying among the elite even without their star forward.
“It’s all up to him,” Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla said when asked about Tatum’s potential return. “At the end of the day, his health is the most important thing, his process is the most important thing. You trust him, trust the team that’s around him — he’s got a great team — and you just kind of go from there. So kind of just all starts about where he and his team think he’s at.”
Tatum’s return is still months away at best, but if the Celtics keep rolling, his presence could be the ultimate X-factor in the season’s home stretch.