It has taken people time to grapple with the reality of Jayson Tatum’s situation. A fixture on the first-team All-NBA for years prior to his injury, nobody knew exactly what to expect after a gruesome Achilles tear forced him to miss most of the 2025-26 season. Sure, Tatum returned in March and looked great, but he clearly wasn’t fully back to being himself.
He even won an Eastern Conference Player of the Week honor last season, but again, it didn’t feel like the old JT had been fully unleashed, and it still felt like he was trying to do what he could to fit in on a team that already had an identity, with Jaylen Brown leading the way and a lot of depth around him.
But six games into this season, it’s pretty clear that this is a different Tatum, and he’s all the way back, if not better than ever. It’s fully his team now, and he has led them to a 5-1 start while playing like an MVP candidate.
Tatum wins 14th Player of the Week Award
And the rest of the league is starting to take notice, as Tatum was honored, yet again, with the Eastern Conference’s Player of the Week award on Monday. The Celtics went 4-0 last week, with JT averaging 30.3 points, 5.8 rebounds, and 7.0 assists. He also hit a game-winning overtime buzzer-beater on Tuesday night to beat the Nets and delivered clutch heroics down the stretch in Orlando on Sunday.
This is Tatum’s 14th time being named Player of the Week, which is third in Celtics history, behind only Larry Bird (15) and Paul Pierce (17). By season’s end, there’s a great chance that Tatum stands alone in Celtics history, and if not this season, it’s only a matter of time.
And that’s safe to say, because it’s clear from watching the Celtics that Tatum is fully back and locked in, playing the best basketball of his career. The shot hasn’t even started falling yet, and it has barely mattered. His passing and playmaking is by far the best it has ever been, he’s getting to the rim and the line with great frequency, his defense hasn’t skipped a beat, and more than anything, he’s doing exactly what his team needs every night to get the job done; the mark of a true leader and alpha-dog.
Tatum is on pace for MVP season
In many ways, it feels like the old Tatum is finally back, but in reality, this is a brand new Tatum. For the first time, it’s clear that the Celtics are fully his team, and everyone else in the organization is doing what they can to complement him. So far, the results have been brilliant, and things should only get better from here.
With each passing game, it feels like Tatum is gaining confidence in his body, in his teammates, and in his abilities in general. He has already leveled up and is on pace to get right back on the top All-NBA team, where he belongs. And once the shot does start falling, look out. The sky is the limit for Tatum and the Celtics, and if he keeps it up, he’s absolutely going to be in the MVP conversation when the Spring rolls around.
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