The Boston Celtics have already solidified themselves as a legitimate contender in the wide-open Eastern Conference. They are third in the standings, just a half-game behind the second-seeded New York Knicks. Even after Wednesday's 114-110 loss to the Denver Nuggets, they're generating the second-most points per 100 possessions, yielding the second-fewest points per contest, and have the third-highest net rating in the NBA.
Not only is Jaylen Brown playing MVP-caliber basketball, but his runningmate might return this season. As Dr. Kevin Stone, a leading expert in Achilles tendon repairs, conveyed, Jayson Tatum returning this season is "definitely realistic."
If that happens, some fear that it might actually hurt the Celtics. To that, Rich Paul had this to say:
"Comparisons are the thief of joy. That's why we see these dumb takes on 'Jayson Tatum, if he comes back to the Celtics, he's gonna hurt the team.' What!?" voiced Paul to co-host Max Kellerman on their new show Game Over. "These people are crazy."
The impact of Jayson Tatum's return to the Celtics
First off, whether the six-time All-Star is back in Boston's lineup during the current campaign is anyone's guess. He may get medically cleared, but still not check the boxes his team needs him to tick off before getting the green light.
"I mean, there's strength thresholds he has to meet. And then after that, several weeks of progressions, right?" Shared Brad Stevens in December. "From the standpoints of scripted against small groups, scripted against bigger groups, scripted in five-on-five, unscripted, random, all the way up through those.
"But it's a long progression, and it's almost like once you hit the strength, then you do your thresholds of a progression of play, and then you're also reconditioning to play real minutes. You know, whatever that looks like. He's obviously made great strides right now. We're still focused on the full strength game."
Tatum may get cleared this season, but only in time to play in a handful of games. However, he's attacking his rehab relentlessly, and his progress lends itself to a similar timeline to Dru Smith. The Miami Heat guard returned from tearing an Achilles tendon in nine months.
Time will tell if the four-time All-NBA First Team selection returns to that form and how long it takes. However, if he's even in the ballpark this season, it could easily prove the most meaningful addition any team makes during the current championship chase.
Naturally, there would also be questions surrounding Boston's reintegrating of Tatum into the fold.
How will he mesh with Jaylen Brown? How will players whose minutes he takes handle that mentally and from a production standpoint? And how will he fit in with an offense playing at a faster pace?
The Celtics have gone from ranking last in average speed at that end of the floor [4.20] to 4.63, a meaningful jump that now places them near the middle of the pack, per NBA.com.
These questions are valid. Furthermore, one can't answer them with certainty until given the chance to play out. However, Tatum has remained present and involved throughout this season. He's in film sessions, players come to him to pick his brain during games, and he's well aware of the dynamics at play.
Regarding those who see their minutes sliced, frankly, it's on them to deal with that. While sympathetic to the situation, their not responding well doesn't change Tatum's ability to be more impactful with that floor time.
Reinserting him will, at times, entail playing at a slower tempo than Boston may otherwise. However, there's no reason to believe the team can't find success or improve in the half-court with a perennial All-Star back in the lineup. That could lend itself to a deeper playoff run, given the need to operate effectively when the pace slows in the postseason.
As for the dynamic between him and Brown, one would think that if Tatum returns this season, he'll be there to help make life easier on the former, not push to be the one with the ball in his hands the most. That should benefit both and avoid putting too much on the St. Louis native's plate too soon.
They'll need to revisit the matter entering next season, but as their tenure together has proven, they can make it work at a championship level. Brown probably had to grow during this time, rather than the situation returning exactly the way it was for them to lead the Celtics back to the NBA mountaintop.