It’s official: Jayson Tatum is back.
The five-time All-NBA wing can line up for Boston against Dallas on Friday night, just 10 months after tearing his Achilles tendon in a playoff game against New York.
This is not surprising. Tatum Thursday has been moved from “Excluded” to “Problematic”the first step in returning a long-term absentee player to the lineup. Additionally, the actions of the Celtics and Tatum himself suggest as much – Tatum is producing a documentary about his return – “Quiet Work,” available at Peacock – This is something a player only does if they want to return.
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Tatum will be on a minutes restriction, and while that number will increase over time, he will likely be on a minutes restriction for the remainder of the regular season (or close to it). Returning now gives Tatum and the Celtics about six weeks before the playoffs begin to get him into game shape and find a rhythm with his teammates.
Tatum returns to make Boston better ——This is a 28-year-old NBA champion and Olympic gold medalist. He has ranked in the top six in MVP voting in the past four seasons. He averaged 26.8 points, 8.7 rebounds and 6 assists per game last season. Every team could use more size and shooting, and Tatum is a 6-foot-8 wing who is a career 37 percent shooter from three.
Tatum will have some difficulty returning to the rotation. Boston went 41-21 this season without him, thanks in large part to Jaylen Brown’s MVP-level performance, averaging 28.9 points, 7.2 rebounds and 5 assists per game. Brown has always been the leader of this team, and Tatum, who is returning from injury, will have to make some sacrifices to adapt to this team’s system. That said, Brown and Tatum have proven they can play and win together, and coach Joe Mazzula has established a culture that everyone, including the stars, can buy into.
Boston is going to get better starting tonight.
