Jayson Tatum will make his return from an Achilles injury on Friday, March 6, when the Boston Celtics face the Dallas Mavericks. He is likely to be on a minutes restriction over the coming weeks as he ramps back up to NBA-level fitness.
Nevertheless, Tatum’s return is a major boost for Boston. Adding an All-NBA talent back into a roster that already sits second in the Eastern Conference is a luxury most teams don’t have. Therefore, it’s fair to assume that Boston is now the favorite to come out of the East once the playoffs begin.
Former Celtics forward Grant Williams recently echoed that sentiment when speaking with Jay King of The Athletic.
“He’s an All-NBA player,” Williams said. “And adding an All-NBA player to this roster, as we all know, is going to take them to another level. He’s going to impact the game both on the offensive and defensive side of the basketball.”
It will likely be a while before we see Tatum near his best. Yet, if he can get to 70% of his usual self, the Celtics will have a whole new dimension on both sides of the floor. Once Joe Mazzulla figures out his best rotation with Tatum is back, Boston will be viewed as one of the best teams in the NBA.
For a franchise that was supposed to be navigating a “gap year," the Celtics have been defying expectations all season. Now, those expectations will shift, and with it, the roster will have a whole new set of questions it needs to answer, including whether or not it’s capable of winning a championship this season.
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