Jayson Tatum has the kind of season ahead of him that can reshape how his résumé gets discussed.
After a rough stretch for both him and the Celtics last year, the runway is clear for a fresh start. Tatum missed most of the season while coming back from an achilles injury, and Boston’s playoff run ended in the first round even though he was on the floor for most of that series. That’s in the rearview now, and this season he’s set up to be the face of an underrated Celtics roster.
The path to MVP, though, is not simple. Tatum has already stacked up plenty of accolades, including four All-NBA first-team selections, which tells you he’s long been operating among the league’s elite.
Even with those seasons, he has never finished higher than fourth in MVP voting. That’s the reality of the award: being great is not enough on its own.
Now, entering the prime of his career and with Jaylen Brown gone, Tatum has a real shot to finally break through. Brown was not the reason Tatum hadn’t won MVP in Boston, but more time with the ball should help in the one area the award often rewards most: production.
The scoring bar is usually steep. Since 2015-16, MVP winners have averaged more than 27 points per game in nine of the last 11 seasons. That’s the sort of benchmark Tatum probably has to clear, but scoring alone still won’t carry him all the way.
Team success matters just as much. Over the last 11 seasons, the MVP has been on a first-place team in its conference six times.
The other five winners came from teams that finished second once, third twice, and sixth twice. Those lower-seeded cases were the outliers, the kind of seasons Nikola Jokic and Russell Westbrook had when the individual performance was too overwhelming to ignore.
For Tatum to be a real threat without a top-3 finish in the East, he would need something truly extraordinary. The recent MVP landscape has also leaned heavily on advanced numbers like win shares and offensive and defensive ratings, which add another layer to the race.
Put it all together, and the formula gets demanding fast. Tatum likely needs something around 29 points, 10 rebounds and 6 assists per game, plus a top-3 finish in the East, to put himself firmly in the mix.
And there’s one more wrinkle that could work in his favor: plenty of people are already down on the Celtics after their offseason moves. If Tatum can help Boston beat that storyline, his MVP case will get a lot louder.
In Other News...
Joe Mazzulla May Be Building A More Reliable Celtics Offense
The Celtics opened the preseason with wins over Cleveland and Philadelphia, and the early signs have centered less on shot-making than on the way Joe Mazzulla wants this group to manufacture extra possessions. Even when the offense was uneven, Boston found ways to stay in control by leaning into activity on the glass and pressure that turned into easier chances the other way.
For a team that already knows how to score when its rhythm is right, the more interesting part is whether those habits can make the offense steadier when it is not. Mazzulla has emphasized offensive rebounding and forcing turnovers as part of the formula, and that approach could end up mattering as much as shot selection once the games start counting for real. [Read more 🡒]
Paul George Just Sent Celtics Fans A Clear Jayson Tatum Message
Paul George is already framing his Celtics partnership with Jayson Tatum in pretty clear terms as Boston gets a first look at the pairing under Joe Mazzulla. After their encouraging preseason debut together, Georges message was less about sorting out pecking order and more about fit, with the veteran wing signaling he understands where the offense is headed and what kind of burden Tatum is expected to carry moving forward.
Georges view of the arrangement also gives Celtics fans a glimpse of how Boston hopes to balance its top-end talent. Rather than trying to crowd Tatum out of the spotlight, George is embracing a supporting role that is built around easing pressure, helping defensively and doing the little things that keep possessions alive. The bigger question now is how naturally that plan translates once the games start to matter and the Celtics push deeper into next season. [Read more 🡒]
Celtics Face A Costly Payton Pritchard Decision Fast
Payton Pritchards rise has put the Celtics in a familiar spot: a productive homegrown guard suddenly gets expensive, and the front office has to decide how much future flexibility it is willing to give up. He became eligible for an extension on Oct. 1, and the timing matters because Boston already knows what Pritchard has become after his Sixth Man of the Year season in 2024-25 and career-best numbers in 2025-26.
The pressure is on because the window to strike a deal closes before the 2026-27 season begins, and if the sides pass on that, the conversation shifts to a very different market next summer. Pritchard is already under contract through the 2027-28 season, but the longer Boston waits, the more leverage he could gain, leaving the Celtics to weigh short-term certainty against a pricier road ahead. [Read more 🡒]