We’re only two games into Jayson Tatum’s 2025-26 season, but in case there was any doubt, the Celtics are all-in on winning the title. The team hasn’t played perfectly in these two games, and Tatum still has plenty of room to grow, but it’s already clear what he is adding to what was already the number two seed in the East.
They’re just scratching the surface, and they’ve looked dominant in two wins over the Mavericks and Cavaliers. This team has been stifling teams with defense, energy, rebounding, and beautiful ball movement, and long-distance shooting all season.
Rather than change their approach, JT has come in and added to everything they’re doing, making a great team immediately better on both ends of the court. In his debut, Tatum ripped down 12 rebounds. In his second game, he played stellar on-ball and help defense.
All the while, he’s scored 15 and 20 points in the two games as well. For the first 62 games of the season, the Celtics felt like a little engine that could; a team that was embarrassing teams with energy, effort, and attention to detail. It was fun to watch, but it was fair to wonder if it would be able to carry over to the playoffs.
The Celtics can win on both ends of the floor
But now that Tatum is back in the fold, this pesky group of try-hards is suddenly a luxury element to a team with two superstars and elite role players. The talent now matches the effort, and with Joe Mazzulla’s coaching, the amount of buy-in, discipline, preparation, and execution is second to none in the NBA.
It’s not a coincidence that the Celtics have held 8 of their last 15 opponents under 100 points, and Tatum getting his wind back is only going to make them better on that end of the floor. With that level of defense, and the balanced attack and scheme on offense around the Jays, who can each go get the team a tough bucket at any time, it’s all starting to come together and look like a problem for the rest of the league.
Boston is a buzzsaw, and they’re in prime position to go on a real run. They’ve got 18 more games to ramp up and get everyone into a rhythm with Tatum playing a big role. But the foundation and infrastructure have been there all along in the house that is the Celtics.
Adding in Tatum feels like finishing the basement, putting a pool in the backyard, and putting an addition over the garage. There’s no weak link now, and the Celtics can beat you any way you want. They’ve already proven how dangerous they are, and if it all clicks together a month from now, they may just be starting a run to another Larry O’Brien Trophy in June.