It had been 298 days since Jayson Tatum played with his teammates. The TD Garden was going wild when he got introduced against the Dallas Mavericks last Friday, his first game back since rupturing his Achilles last season.
Tatum played like he never left, almost securing a triple-double against Dallas. He then scored 20 in his second game back against Cleveland.
The Celtics have won two straight, five of their last six games, and nine of their last eleven (as of March 9). Their superstar player has returned, just in time for the playoffs, rejoining potential MVP candidate Jaylen Brown in the lineup.
With potential limitations on the court and easing into things, what does Tatum bring to the table this late into the season?
MORE: Can Neemias Queta Continue His Momentum With the Celtics?
The Celtics have had games where they have decimated the competition. Tatum’s presence may be a difference-maker.
Per StatMuse, the Celtics have a 120.5 offensive rating, ranked second in the league. When Tatum was healthy last year, the team had a 121.7 rating. Meanwhile, per ESPN, the Celtics have averaged 114.5 points per game this season. Last season, they averaged 116.3.
The Celtics scored 120 points against Dallas and 109 against Cleveland. Boston's biggest game was a 148-111 romping of the Nets. The team's lone losses in the past month include games where they scored between 84 and 89 points.
12 FIRST QUARTER POINTS FOR JAYSON TATUM 🔥
This guy tore his achilles 300 days ago 😅 pic.twitter.com/yqfiGOKdE2
— NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) March 8, 2026
Brown has carried the workload for the team, but can’t score all the points. It’s clear Tatum and Brown balanced each other out, helping the team score a significant amount of points. Having another scoring wizard gives them an edge. With his return, the dynamic duo is back.
Tatum wasn’t totally out of the picture when he was out due to injury. He would appear in practices, study film, and do what it took to feel closer to his teammates when he was so far away from the action. The Thursday before he returned, Tatum thanked his teammates for motivating him during his journey.
MORE: Confident Jaylen Brown Ready to Continue Defying Expectations With Celtics
The speech meant more to the players and Tatum himself than anyone could have realized. It gave a sense of leadership and passion that was sort of missing from the roster.
“It was nice for him to get up there and talk,” Derrick White said via The Athletic. “And for him to kind of get his voice back into the team. Because he’s been around, but he hasn’t had that type of voice.”
Whether Tatum can add to the Celtics’ rating this late is unknown. What we do know: When healthy and not limited, he brings tremendous upside to a team that has already exceeded expectations.