The Boston Celtics will have Jayson Tatum back in their rotation for their game against the Dallas Mavericks on Friday, March 6. The superstar forward was upgraded to ‘available’ on the team’s injury report. Should Tatum make his season debut, it would be the first time he’s played NBA basketball since tearing his Achilles during game four of the 2025 Eastern Conference Semifinals against the New York Knicks.
In Tatum’s absence, Jaylen Brown has stepped up as both a leader and the primary scoring option for the Celtics. His high-level performances this season have seen him establish himself with an outside shot at the MVP award, along with the chance to make the All-NBA First Team.
As such, there has been significant debate on how Tatum’s return could impact Boston’s current rhythm and team chemistry. There has also been chatter regarding whether Boston is still Tatum’s team or if the tide has shifted.
Brown and Tatum have been dealing with those debates throughout their careers with the Celtics. The divisive narratives are nothing new for either of them. Yet, with Tatum’s return being such a hot topic, those discussion points have become louder.
When speaking with Jay King of The Athletic, former Celtics forward Grant Williams urged Boston’s star forwards to shut out the noise. Williams also pointed out that both Tatum and Brown have figured out how to thrive next to each other and have consistently won at a high level, including the 2024 NBA Championship.
“It’s the same dumb s–t they’ve been talking about since I was here,” Williams said. “So I think neither one of (Tatum or Brown) should pay any attention to it because they’re both phenomenal human beings, but also phenomenal players. And no matter what the media says, they’ve shown that they can play with one another and they add to one another’s games. And no matter who gets the attention, no matter who gets the praise, the ultimate goal is winning."
Regardless of whether Tatum returns on Friday or in the near future, external conversations regarding his standing in the current rotation will persist. The only way to stop that discussion is to continue winning and finding ways to help Tatum get back to himself.
It may take Tatum some time to get up to speed. Nevertheless, his return from injury should ensure the Celtics are a serious threat in the Eastern Conference heading into the postseason. Suddenly, a season that was supposed to be a gap year could lead to another Finals appearance. Tatum and Brown will both need to play a big part in that push, as they have throughout their time together in Boston.