A big storyline facing the Celtics this season is whether Jayson Tatum will return.
The superstar forward tore his Achilles during Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals against the New York Knicks in May.
Tatum has kept a return date in mind, and the Celtics have never laid out a concrete timeline on a potential return to game action.
During a recent episode of “The Zach Lowe Show,” an NBA insider noted that the noise surrounding Tatum’s return “will not die down.” But it made it clear that even if he plays at some point this season, fans can’t expect him to return to All-Star form.
“What would he look like if he came back this season?” Lowe said. “We can’t just project, ‘Oh, yeah, first-team, All-NBA. Jayson Tatum is coming in the right place for a playoff run.’ This is not realistic at all.”
The Celtics are 11-9 to start the 2025-26 campaign and have surprised Lowe with how well they have played — especially offensively.
After making extensive changes in the offseason, including trading Jrue Holiday and Kristaps Porzingis, many had the Celtics out of favor, especially with Tatum sidelined. But they are in seventh place in the Eastern Conference.
There is still a lot of basketball left to be played this season. But Boston won’t bring Tatum back for any reason, whether the team is in the playoff race or not.
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