The Boston Celtics are now 5-2 since Jayson Tatum returned from his Achilles injury earlier this month. He’s stabilized the high-flying Celtics even further, and have helped them truly establish themselves as one of the top contenders from the Eastern Conference.
Advertisement
The Celtics are looking so good that analyst Kendrick Perkins already has them going far. Jaylen Brown, in Tatum’s absence, already established himself as one of the best players in the league, averaging close to 30 points per game, and keeping the Celtics close to the top seed. But now that Tatum, the face of the franchise is back, expectations are sky-rocketing.
Earlier today, the Celtics defeated the Warriors, 120-99, with ease, with Brown scoring 32 and Tatum 24. It’s a sign they are in cruise control. Perkins for one, sees them being one of the finalists this season.
“They’re ready to go to the NBA Finals,” Perkins said on ESPN when asked about what he’s seen from Tatum, Jaylen Brown, and the Celtics so far. “They’re the best, still, duo in the Eastern Conference- they have the most championship experience.”
The Celtics are now 7-3 in their last ten games. They sit just 3.5 games behind the Pistons at No.1 and with 13 games remaining in their season, it’s going to be tough to catch them. But finishing ahead of the New York Knicks in the No. 2 seed would be an incredible feat on its own.
Above everything he’s seen, though, Perkins is most excited about how good Tatum and Brown look together. “They can fit, and they’re willing to make it work. Because Jayson Tatum returned, and he’s been the star in his role,” he noted.
“The man just had a 41 piece, all flats.”
Kendrick Perkins shares his thoughts on Jayson Tatum’s impact after returning to the Celtics.
Watch Warriors-Celtics NOW on ESPN and the ESPN App pic.twitter.com/9ZTCgSWcR6
— NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) March 18, 2026
Through six games, Tatum is averaging 20 points, 8.2 rebounds, and 4.4 assists per game. His minutes have steadily increased and shooting a measly 40% from the field, but some rust was expected returning from such a serious injury.
In fact, Perkins is fine with Tatum’s low percentage shooting because of the other areas he’s been contributing. Not to mention, he hasn’t interfered with Brown’s MVP-like season. “I understand the percentages are not there as far as what he’s shooting. But he’s doing a lot of the other things. Grabbing rebounds, dropping dimes, defending at a high level, getting out in transition, and he’s not taking away from Jaylen Brown. The man just had a 41-piece, all flats.”
At this point, Tatum seems to be solely concerned with getting back up to NBA speed. And for a guy who was off the court for 298 days, he looks good.
