Celtics News

[DefenseWinsChamps]

Jayson Tatum:

If or when I do come back this season, they would have played 50 some odd games without me. They have things that have clicked and have been successful, so there?s a thought in my head like how does that look when I come back? [dang], do I come back or should I wait. I contemplate it every single day.

Love that humility. WILD sixth man to have.

We need his feel for the game and versatility. Rebound. Play good team defense. Hit open shots. Move the ball.

Let Jaylen be responsible for late clock creation while he gets his legs under him.

Tatum's job is what he is best at - being the most versatile all-around player in the league that can fit in with anyone.

[Goldstar88]

Jaylen Brown: I feel like I?ve sacrificed over the years in order for us to be a championship-caliber team. And I think now, I think we?re getting to see that a little bit. What exactly, you know, I was capable of and what I was sacrificing. I think before maybe it wasn?t so obvious. I think now, I think being able to be at the helm of things and, um, us being the second seed in the East?versus last year we finished second seed in the East. it?s almost been no drop-off with four players, five players that are essentially gone. Um, I feel like that the work from the coaching staff, the work from our leadership has?has been great. And, um, you know, I just tried to make myself available every single night.

I've never loved this mentality.  "Sacrificing" touches and stats to win a championship isn't a sacrifice at all.

Also, there *has* been a drop off.  Our defense has dropped from 5th to 12th.  Our offense, defense, and net rating are all worse than last year.  The Celtics have overachieved to a large degree, but JB seems to be saying that JT and others aren't the true difference makers, and that's nonsense.

EDIT:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N_-1ORYB9mw  Context @ 3:20

100% agree with you.  They actually are not a championship team right now with him at the helm.  Better than expected and he is a major reason why (not the only reason - Q, Simons, Walsh, Hugo, Garza, Sam and PP).  But they aren?t winning a championship without JT and I hope he know that what he?s calling *sacrifice* is actually just being a teammate. I think they?ll be fine (hopefully kick it up) when JT returns but that will be him and JT doing what they should do, for which both of them earn an ungodly fortune.

How about Tatum sacrificing in the playoffs during their championship season. He was shooting less and focusing more on assists and rebounds. Brown won the Finals MVP. You never hear JT talking about this stuff.

[keevsnick]

Hot take maybe: Jaylen Brown is 100% right.

He has absolutely sacrificed; we've seen that this season. Had he been on a different team he's probably have put up more numbers and still had some good team success.

Personally, I'm fine if he's a little in his feelings about it. He was booed on draft night. Relegated to the bench in his 3rd season after being a driving forced in an ECF in his 2nd season. He's had half the fan base try to trade him about half a dozen times. Endured left hand jokes, dunk contest jokes, ect ect ect. There were supposed Celtics fans COMPLAINING about having to watch 1st option Jaylen Brown hoops before this season and projecting 32 wins. They have the 2nd bets offense in the NBA.

JB has gotten a lot of flack, if he wants to throw it back in some people's faces then good for him.

I don't read this as being "anti winning" or whatever. Its just sort of statement of fact, he should absolutely get more credit for being a team guy the last 10 years.

[Celtics4ever]

evidently many are ignorant of the greatness of Bird.  I have him at 3 behind Russell (greatest player that dominated the league with titles and made his teammates better) and Wilt (the greatest individual player ever in term of what he could do on the court). 

He is my all time favorite player.   So I am very biased towards him to biased to make a judgment without that bias affecting my decision.  I used the 50 greatest players list to remove me putting him at number one.

One thing that bothers me, no matter what our guys do, the media and public outside of the fans, never acknowledge them in a positive manner.  I guess, it goes with being a Celtic.

[slamtheking]

evidently many are ignorant of the greatness of Bird.  I have him at 3 behind Russell (greatest player that dominated the league with titles and made his teammates better) and Wilt (the greatest individual player ever in term of what he could do on the court). 

He is my all time favorite player.   So I am very biased towards him to biased to make a judgment without that bias affecting my decision.  I used the 50 greatest players list to remove me putting him at number one.

One thing that bothers me, no matter what our guys do, the media and public outside of the fans, never acknowledge them in a positive manner.  I guess, it goes with being a Celtic.

that does seem to be true with the media.  being a career Celtic seems to be treated as a negative.  Pierce was a good example of a great player that was underrated by national media.  Hondo too in terms of how he's regarded in the game's history of top players

The foolishness of the debate where people are rating either Jordan or Lebron as the best ever totally ignores why they shouldn't be regarded as the best.  Those that argue it's Jordan based on titles ignore Russell's dominance.  Those that argue it's MJ's or Lebron's skillset ignore Wilt's superior skillset.  Those that argue it's either of their ability to make teammates better ignore the skillsets of Russell, Bird and Magic.  Those that argue it's Lebron's durability and career length ignore Kareem's longevity. 

I'm not saying MJ and Lebron aren't all-time greats but they wouldn't be my top 2.  I'd put MJ at 5 behind Russell, Wilt, Bird and Magic (although a friend of mine made a decent argument for MJ over Magic based on Magic having played on loaded Laker teams and a weak West to get to 8 finals in 10 years) and Lebron at 6 or 7 (flipflopping in my mind with Kareem).

[radiohead]

https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/rumor-opens-door-celtics-bulls-165840981.html

How on earth can we do this without including JB?

[radiohead]

https://x.com/TheDunkCentral/status/2016622575858954275

The rumors are coming in. There?s also a report saying the Clips declined a Zubac for Simons deal earlier in the season.

[SparzWizard]

https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/rumor-opens-door-celtics-bulls-165840981.html

How on earth can we do this without including JB?

Give 'em White, Hauser, Simons, some first rounders...

A Big 3 of Tatum, Brown, and Banchero would be deadly

[Goldstar88]

https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/rumor-opens-door-celtics-bulls-165840981.html

How on earth can we do this without including JB?

The Magic aren?t trading Banchero. They are just going to fire the coach. 

[slightly biased bias fan]

The Chicago Bulls reportedly offered Nikola Vučević to the Celtics for Anfernee Simons and a first-round pick, but Boston declined, per Mike Scotto
 
For example, earlier this season, well before Boston surged into second place in the East, the Chicago Bulls inquired on the possibility of trading center Nikola Vucevic for Simons and a Celtics first-round pick, which would have lowered the Celtics tax bill, but the Celtics were not interested, league sources told HoopsHype.

[Jiri Welsch]

Not sure if this warrants a new thread, but I'll keep it here for now and let the Mods move it over into a separate thread if they want.

Chris Haynes reporting late tonight that Tatum is re-evaluating whether to come back at all this season.

Link: https://x.com/ChrisBHaynes/status/2016725126038081966?s=20

Chris Haynes @ChrisBHaynes ? 1h
Sources: Boston Celtics star Jayson Tatum (Achilles recovery) is re-evaluating his situation and is now considering sitting out the entire 2025-26 season. Final decision has yet to be determined.

[radiohead]

https://x.com/iinangelo/status/2016633992846414206

I guess this is bound to happen.

[ozgod]

Not sure if this warrants a new thread, but I'll keep it here for now and let the Mods move it over into a separate thread if they want.

Chris Haynes reporting late tonight that Tatum is re-evaluating whether to come back at all this season.

Link: https://x.com/ChrisBHaynes/status/2016725126038081966?s=20

Chris Haynes @ChrisBHaynes ? 1h
Sources: Boston Celtics star Jayson Tatum (Achilles recovery) is re-evaluating his situation and is now considering sitting out the entire 2025-26 season. Final decision has yet to be determined.

I think it?s more that he thinks he might make the team worse before he makes it better and it might affect how they end up if he comes in so late into the season and heading into the playoffs. We are all assuming we?re going to see peak Tatum soon as he gets on the court, but it might take him a month or two to get into his stride and given the team?s been working pretty well without him trying to reintegrate him while he gets his feet back might be disruptive and it's entirely possible they might get worse before they get better, which would put pressure on them given the short time available to integrate him into the team before the playoffs. Plus, expectations immediately get elevated, people expect him to be the Tatum that was a 30ppg/8rpg/5apg first team All-NBA player when he might need a month or two to get back into things. And it disrupts the existing players. I think that's what he's talking about when he says this:

?That?s something I contemplate every day,? Tatum said on ?The Pivot Podcast? when asked how much he thinks about how he will fit back in when he returns. ?More so about the team. If or when I do come back this season, they will have played 50 some-odd games without me, so they have an identity this year or things that they?ve felt have clicked for them. And it?s been successful. They?re the (second) team in the East up to this point.

?So there is a thought in my head, like, how does that work? Or how does that look with me integrating myself off the injury ? 50, 60 games into a season? There obviously could be some challenges. And it is a thought: Do I come back? Should I wait? It?s something that I honestly, recently, in the last two weeks or so just kind of contemplate every single day.?

https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/7004155/2026/01/28/jayson-tatum-celtics-return-nba/

And let's be honest - fans are transactional. We want results. Probably for the first few games we will be sympathetic to the fact that he's come back from a difficult injury, but after the first few losses with him there the narrative will shift to "is he done for good? he looks useless...how come KD came back the same but he hasn't...we're better off without him...he's ruining our chances to win the East...etc.". And the fact that there might be a kernel of truth in those - we *are* playing well with him, and adding him to the mix elevates the team, but only if he is "peak Jayson Tatum" not "recovering Jayson Tatum".
 
If he comes in at the start of the season, with a full training camp behind him and with the entire team starting from a fresh slate, it?s less disruptive. It?s a thoughtful, considered, team first take from Jayson which comes as no surprise as he's always been a team first player.

[keevsnick]

i think its very likely that Tatum knows more about where he and his body is rehab wise than any of us do, if he's having second thoughts maybe its as simple as he isn't sure that whatever he'll come back as will be a net positive for the current Celtics team. Or maybe he just believes that there's a higher chance of returning to 100% of what he once was if he comes back in October, there is some evidence that a longer rehab leads to better outcomes with this injury.

In either case I think he's proven how crazy he is about playing, if he doesn't feel 100% comfortable with it, I'd trust that decision.