When it was announced that Jayson Tatum would be returning this season, 298 days after rupturing his Achilles tendon, it was fair to question how his play would be affected. So far, after playing in 13 games, it's safe to say that some of those fears may have been unwarranted.
Since returning, Tatum is averaging 21.4 points, 9.9 rebounds, and 5.1 assists, while adding 1.3 steals. His shooting percentages could be better, only shooting 40.9 percent from the field and 33.3 percent from 3-point land, but those should improve once Tatum gets more games under his belt and can shake off the last bit of rust. What's been most impressive since his return is that he's finished eight of his 13 games with a double-double, including a recent triple-double against the Miami Heat.
An issue that plagued the Celtics this season has been securing defensive rebounds, and Tatum has helped immediately improve that. With how well Tatum has played and fit in with this season's Celtics teams, Boston's expectations for the season could be higher than initially thought.
Jayson Tatum Productive Return Boosts Celtics' Expectations
In what many thought would be a gap year for the Celtics, the team went out and showed why it was foolish to think that. After a rocky start that saw the Celtics fall to 0-3, the team rebounded and now sits in second place in the East. A big reason for that stems from Jaylen Brown putting together an MVP-caliber season.
Along with Brown turning in a career season, Boston has gotten help from multiple players who, before the 2025-26 campaign, hadn't seen consistent minutes during their respective careers, like Neemias Queta and Baylor Scheierman. Adding a healthy Tatum to this roster has only raised the team's ceiling. Looking at the Eastern Conference, Boston should be considered one of, if not the, favorite to emerge from the East to challenge for the Larry O'Brien Trophy.
Having both Tatum and Brown capable of playing at MVP-caliber levels makes the Celtics one of the most dangerous teams in the league. Add in the championship experience of the roster and its head coach, and Boston will have an advantage over many teams in the East when the playoffs arrive.
With the postseason right around the corner, this is the last chance for the Celtics to iron out any concerns before their quest for banner 19 begins. While it remains to be seen how that journey goes, fans in Beantown have to believe their chances of hanging another championship banner have risen with Tatum reacclimating himself as seamlessly as he has.