Tatum, who suffered an Achilles injury against the New York Knicks in last season’s Eastern Conference Semifinals, hasn’t been ruled out for the entire 2025-26 campaign, leaving the door open for an eventual return (especially considering the Celtics are primed to reach the postseason).

Nevertheless, Boston Celtics fans are slowly becoming more hopeful that Tatum will return to Joe Mazzulla's rotation before the end of the season, even if it's on a minutes restriction. The fact that Boston is currently third in the Eastern Conference and on track for a potentially deep postseason run is likely playing a part in that hopeful thinking.

Jayson Tatum is out for the Boston Celtics as he recovers from a right Achilles tendon rupture suffered during the 2025 playoffs. As December 2025 end.

A lot of people are talking about the Boston Celtics as a sleeper NBA Finals team if and when Jayson Tatum comes back, but here’s another idea: what if the Celtics are an NBA Finals team even without Tatum?

The Boston Celtics are trying to be the best team in the East. Joe Mazzulla needs Anfernee Simons to do this every game in order to do that.

Paul Pierce says Jaylen Brown’s MVP snub isn’t about basketball, but about league-wide Celtics fatigue overshadowing elite production.

Jayson Tatum Comes Back & Celtics Win East