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Jaylen Brown of the Boston Celtics talks with head coach Joe Mazzulla.
The Boston Celtics were widely expected to treat this season as a bridge year. Instead, they may still be the team to beat in the Eastern Conference — even from afar, that reality is resonating around the league.
NBA Assistant Coach Still Picks Celtics to Win East — With One Condition
Despite missing their franchise cornerstone all season, the Boston Celtics have positioned themselves squarely in the Eastern Conference title picture. And according to one NBA assistant coach, Boston would instantly become the favorite to win the East if Jayson Tatum returns in time for the postseason.
“They’re already awesome without Jayson,” the assistant coach told ESPN. “And you add him for 20 minutes a game, or more? They’re the clear pick to me.”
That sentiment — coming from a rival bench — underscores how highly the Celtics are still regarded across the league, even as the Detroit Pistons have surged into the No. 1 seed and rewritten the Eastern Conference hierarchy.
Celtics Quietly Thriving in a ‘Gap Year’
With 24 games remaining, Boston sits second in the East, leading the preseason-favored New York Knicks by 1.5 games and the Cleveland Cavaliers by two games. The Celtics trail Detroit by 5.5 games but have firmly separated themselves from the rest of the conference despite operating without their All-NBA forward.
The Pistons have been the East’s best team since November. Still, around the league, there remains a belief that Boston’s ceiling — if Tatum returns — is higher than anyone else’s.
Jayson Tatum Takes Major Step Toward Return
That belief gained traction on Wednesday when ESPN’s Shams Charania reported that Tatum has cleared a critical checkpoint in his rehab from Achilles surgery.
“I’m told Jayson Tatum is a full go in five-on-five scrimmages with the Celtics,” Charania said on NBA Countdown. “Now it’s about stacking practices, building conditioning, and strengthening both calves.”
Charania emphasized that the next — and perhaps biggest — hurdle is mental rather than physical.
“The common theme from people close to Jayson Tatum is that he’ll return ‘when JT feels like JT,’” Charania said. “He’s in the driver’s seat. The team hasn’t put any pressure on him.”
Tatum is now nine months removed from surgery, a milestone rarely reached this quickly by players who’ve suffered the same injury.
Celtics’ Success Without Tatum Has Turned Heads
While Tatum’s potential return dominates external conversation, Boston’s performance without him has been just as impressive internally.
His Celtics co-star Jaylen Brown is having the best season of his career, averaging career highs across the board: 29.1 points, 7.1 rebounds and 4.8 assists.
Head coach Joe Mazzulla has pieced together wins with what many around the league view as a skeleton roster after the exits of veterans Kristaps Porziņģis, Jrue Holiday and Al Horford, leaning heavily on internal development.
Mazzulla’s System Has Created Buy-In
From starting center Neemias Queta to wings Baylor Scheierman and Jordan Walsh, to rookie guard Hugo Gonzalez, Boston has squeezed value out of nearly every rotation spot.
“They know exactly who they are,” the assistant coach told ESPN. “They have great mental toughness. They’re decisive. There’s no second-guessing.”
That clarity has allowed the Celtics to maintain elite defense, ball movement, and late-game execution — hallmarks that typically define championship teams.
Why Tatum’s Return Would Be Historic
If Tatum does return this season, it would be almost unprecedented.
Recent stars who suffered Achilles tears — including Klay Thompson and Kevin Durant — missed a full year or more before returning to NBA action. Tatum playing meaningful minutes less than a year after surgery would mark a significant outlier.
Before the injury, Tatum finished fourth in MVP voting last season, averaging 26.8 points, 8.7 rebounds, 6.0 assists, and 1.1 steals, numbers that anchor Boston’s championship hopes whenever he’s available.
Why the League Is Paying Attention
Boston represents the standard of resilience, internal development, and schematic discipline that championship teams have long valued.
And if Tatum returns anywhere close to himself, the assistant coach’s assessment may prove prophetic.
The Celtics might not just survive a “gap year.” They might still end it in the Finals.
Alder Almo is a sports journalist covering the NBA for Heavy.com. He has more than 20 years of experience in local and international media, including broadcast, print and digital. He previously covered the Knicks for Empire Sports Media and the NBA for Off the Glass. Alder is from the Philippines and is now based in Jersey City, New Jersey. More about Alder Almo
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