Jayson Tatum
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BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS - MARCH 12: Jayson Tatum #0 of the Boston Celtics looks on before a game against the Oklahoma City Thunder at the TD Garden on March 12, 2025 in Boston, Massachusetts. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Brian Fluharty/Getty Images)
The Boston Celtics sit at 41-21 heading into Friday night. They have won 12 of their last 15 games and hold the second seed in the Eastern Conference. It was supposed to be a gap year, yet here they are in early March with a legitimate chance to contend for a championship.
Friday brings the Dallas Mavericks to TD Garden. It also brings the possibility of something Boston has been waiting on since May 2025.
Jayson Tatum is listed as questionable for the first time since Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Semi-Finals against the New York Knicks. Ten months of rehabilitation could end with him stepping back on the floor. The anticipation has been building for months, and Friday night might be when it all pays off.
One NBA analyst had plenty to say about what that means for the rest of the league.
Perkins on What Tatum’s Return Means
Kendrick Perkins did not hold back when discussing Tatum’s potential return on ESPN.
“Jayson Tatum is only going to add to this situation which is scary,” Perkins said. “This is the most dangerous team in the entire league.”
The conviction wasn’t just analysis. It was a warning.
Boston has been competitive without JT all season. They have won games they probably should not have won. They have stayed in the playoff race despite losing several key pieces from the 2024 championship team. Now they get Tatum back, and Perkins is telling the rest of the league exactly what that means.
Perkins also revealed just how hard Tatum has been working behind the scenes. According to what he heard from assistant coach Sam Cassell, the dedication bordered on obsessive.
“Sam Cassell told me they literally had to tell Jayson Tatum we’re not coming in on Sunday and you’re not coming in either,” Perkins said. “That’s how much he was living in the gym.”
NBA on ESPN
“Jayson Tatum is only going to add to this situation which is scary. … This is the most dangerous team in the entire league.”
—@KendrickPerkins on Jayson Tatum set to return from injury for the Celtics 🏀
What Boston Gets Back on Friday
Tatum went down in May 2025. Ten months later, he is on the verge of stepping back on the floor. The journey from that injury to Friday night has been defined by the work Perkins described. Tatum living in the gym. The staff having to force him to take days off. A player who refused to let the injury define his career.
Before he went down, Tatum was Boston’s engine. He could create his own shot, defend multiple positions, and control the pace when the game mattered most. The Celtics were championship-caliber with him on the floor. Without him, they became a question mark.
Jaylen Brown answered the call. He stepped into the lead role and has not looked back, averaging 29.2 points per game in a career year that has put him in the MVP conversation. Derrick White has anchored Boston’s defense all season, winning Eastern Conference Defensive Player of the Month for February. Payton Pritchard has provided scoring off the bench when the second unit needed it most.
Now the Celtics get to find out what happens when Tatum rejoins that mix.
JAYSON TATUM
GettyJayson Tatum of the Celtics is assisted off court after being injured against the Knicks in the 2025 NBA Playoffs.
The Timing Could Not Be Better
The Celtics are the second seed in the East, with the Knicks sitting 4.5 games behind. The team has 20 games left in the regular season. That gives Tatum a month to ease his way back before the playoffs begin.
Celtics legend Paul Pierce said the quiet part out loud earlier this week when discussing what comes next.
“We can’t expect him to be the same player right away that he was before he got hurt,” Pierce said. “He has to work his way to that.”
Pierce is right. The adjustment could take time. But Tatum being on the floor at all this season is what matters most right now.
The challenge is real. So is the opportunity.
Final Word for the Celtics
The Celtics have been competing without Tatum all season and still sit second in the Eastern Conference. They have won games, developed real depth, and stayed in the championship conversation despite everything working against them.
Now they get to find out what happens when they are whole again.
Friday night could mark the moment everything changes. Tatum has put in the work. The team has held up their end. The timing is perfect.
He did it.