Jayson Tatum had surgery in May to repair the ruptured right Achilles tendon injury he suffered in the Boston Celtics’ Eastern Conference semifinal loss to the New York Knicks.
Tatum was expected to miss most, if not all, of next season, but his recovery seems to be going better than first thought.
There’s still no official word on when Tatum might play again, but there’s growing hope that he could make it back sooner than first predicted.
He hasn’t closed the door on returning during the 2025-26 campaign. If he does manage a comeback this season, it would be a remarkable turnaround given where things stood just a few months ago.
Jaylen Brown averages 27.3 points per game without Jayson Tatum
But even with optimism around his recovery, Jayson Tatum is still expected to miss a significant chunk of the 2025-26 season for the Boston Celtics.
Tatum’s absence opens the door for Jaylen Brown to take on a larger role. Brown has spent most of his career playing alongside Tatum, but this year he’ll be asked to step up as the primary option.
Historically, Brown has thrived in that position. He’s averaged 27.3 points per game in contests where Tatum hasn’t played, and it wouldn’t be surprising if he matched or even exceeded those numbers over a full season.
This will be another great opportunity for Brown to prove himself while trying to lead Boston back to another championship.
Expectations lowered for Celtics after offseason changes
The Celtics went through significant changes this past offseason, losing two key pieces from their 2024 NBA Championship team.
With Kristaps Porzingis and Jrue Holiday moving on due to salary cap issues, and Tatum’s absence expected to continue, the roster looks very different from the one that lifted the trophy.
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This has led many to believe Boston will slip out of title contention and may even be fighting just to secure a spot in the play-in tournament.
But if Brown can put together a standout campaign, and players like Derrick White and Payton Pritchard step up into larger roles, there’s still a chance Boston exceeds expectations.
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