Jayson Tatum doesn’t need to declare the Celtics his team for everyone else to see what’s changed.
At media day, he pushed back on the idea that Boston now belongs to him alone, but he was clear about one thing: he’s ready to step back into a bigger leadership role. He also said his health is “great,” and he’s eager to show the work he put into his body this offseason. More than a year removed from his torn achilles, Tatum should be closer to the version of himself that has carried Boston through one of the franchise’s most successful stretches.
The bigger workload is coming whether he labels it that way or not. With Jaylen Brown no longer in green and white and now in Philadelphia, Tatum is the unquestioned centerpiece for the first time in his career. That means more possessions, more control, and more responsibility to steer the Celtics offense.
The numbers point to what that can look like. In games where Tatum has posted a usage rate of 35 percent or higher, he has averaged 34 points. He’s already had multiple seasons of 28 points per game or better, and that door is open again this year.
Boston’s roster will look different with Paul George and Mitchell Robinson in the fold, but the style is expected to stay the same. That matters for Tatum, because it gives him a familiar framework while he takes on even more of the offensive load.
Before the injury, he was already taking steps forward as a playmaker and making quicker decisions with the ball. This season should give him a chance to keep building on that.
That’s why the ceiling here feels so intriguing. Tatum has never had the keys to the car at this level before.
If he does what the Celtics need, he could reach a place in his game that hasn’t quite shown up yet. Considering he was a perennial All-Star and an All-NBA first team selection up until 2025, that’s a daunting thought for the rest of the league.
He may not want to put the label on it, but this is Tatum’s team now. Maybe it always was. Either way, the setup is there for him to turn in the best season of his career.
In Other News...
Celtics Suddenly Have A Low-Risk Shot At Former Top-10 Talent
Rob Dillinghams rapid slide has turned him into an intriguing free-agent possibility, and the Celtics are among the teams looking hard enough to notice. The former eighth overall pick in the 2024 NBA Draft has already been waived by the Hornets after earlier stops with the Timberwolves and Bulls, a reminder of how quickly a promising young guard can get lost in the churn of roster moves.
Bostons interest makes sense as a low-risk swing on talent rather than a short-term fix. A two-way contract would give the Celtics a chance to bring in a former top-10 pick who is still available as an unrestricted free agent, with very little downside if the fit never develops and a meaningful upside if his game starts to stabilize. [Read more 🡒]
Brad Stevens Just Reopened A Painful Celtics Debate
Brad Stevens didnt exactly reopen an old wound by accident. In discussing the Celtics offensive issues in recent years, he put a spotlight back on a familiar concern around Boston: when the game slows down and the pressure rises, the offense has too often leaned too heavily on a limited set of solutions. Stevens said the team needs more versatile ways to score, and his comments inevitably echo back to some of the Celtics groups that included Jaylen Brown and still hit rough patches when possessions bogged down.
Joe Mazzulla has already acknowledged the need to shape the system around the current roster, and thats where the real tension sits now. Boston knows the talent is there, but talent alone does not settle the question of identity, especially when training camp is the place where habits are supposed to harden and roles are supposed to become clear. The Celtics are still searching for the version of their offense that can hold up when opponents take away the first option, and the conversation around how they get there is very much alive. [Read more 🡒]
Celtics Still Carry One Surprising 2026-27 Ceiling After Major Change
Bostons future outlook has a way of staying surprisingly upbeat even after a major roster shakeup. Stephen Noh of The Sporting News has the Celtics pegged for 54 wins and the top seed in the Eastern Conference for the 2026-27 season, a projection that comes with the obvious caveat of moving forward without Jaylen Brown and asking Jayson Tatum to return to All-NBA form after injury.
Paul George and Mitchell Robinson are also part of that optimistic equation, and their contributions would matter almost as much as Tatums health. It is a reminder that the Celtics ceiling still looks formidable on paper, but the whole forecast depends on key players being available and productive when it counts. [Read more 🡒]