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Boston Celtics stars Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum continue to get back to full strength as the team prepares for a playoff push.
Before the start of the 2025-26 NBA season, there was uncertainty about whether or not the Boston Celtics would still emerge as a contender in the East. Jayson Tatum’s status for the season was uncertain after tearing his right Achilles tendon in May 2025, and Boston had to let go of high-paid players to avoid the NBA’s luxury tax lines.
Some big adjustments took place, leading to what many thought would be a year of not contending for an NBA title. However, fast forward to the final months of the regular season, and the Celtics are 45-23 and sit as the No. 2 seed in the Eastern Conference.
One huge factor in this success has come with Jaylen Brown stepping up and becoming the first option for Boston this season. Brown would become an NBA MVP candidate at one point in the season as he’s averaged career-highs in points (28.4), rebounds (7.1), and assists (5.1).
Things have changed for the Celtics in recent weeks. Jayson Tatum has returned just 10 months post-op, and Jaylen Brown has noticed that he may need to take a small step back while his right-hand man gets comfortable in the system. Brown is all for making the necessary steps in helping the Celtics reach full potential.
Brown: ‘Obviously, I’m Having a Great Season, but I Just Have to Think About the Big Picture.’
It’s amazing how quickly Jayson Tatum has returned for the Celtics and has worked his way up to playing 32 minutes a game over the past two games. He’s still working through rough patches, but is averaging 20.0 points, 8.2 rebounds, and 4.4 assists per game in the five games he’s played this season.
Jaylen Brown is all for getting the Celtics’ franchise player back just in time for a playoff push, but there will be some adjustments that have to be worked out.
“It takes humility. It takes some understanding,” Brown said when speaking with CLNS Media. “I think JT (Jayson Tatum) is extremely important to us for what we want to do. Obviously, I’m having a great season, but then I just have to think about the big picture. Sometimes it’s not easy, but I always put the team first and what the bigger picture is first. It’s kind of a feel thing, feel it out.”
“So I gotta be patient, everybody gotta be patient. This is not the best version that you are watching right now, so we just take it one day at a time,” Brown added.
Since Tatum’s return on March 6, the Celtics have gone 4-2. One of the losses came when Tatum wasn’t available due to injury management in a 104-102 loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder on March 12.
The Potential Upside of the Tatum-Brown Duo
While Jaylen Brown was able to find experience as a top option for the Celtics, there’s a chance that the duo of him and Jayson Tatum could reach a new high.
Boston saw just that in the Celtics’ 120-112 win over the Phoenix Suns on Monday. Brown and Tatum combined for 62 points, 14 rebounds, and 10 assists.
This is just the beginning of what Jayson Tatum is capable of doing, but head coach Joe Mazzulla will continue to ease him back into the lineup. The idea is to get Tatum back to full strength just in time for the start of the postseason in mid-April.
With 14 games remaining in the regular season for Boston, there’s still potential in dethroning the Detroit Pistons for the top seed in the East. As of now, Detroit holds just a 3.5-game-lead on the Celtics.
Toran Flores is a sports reporter located in Cheyenne, Wyoming. He’s covered news in the NFL, NBA, MLB, WNBA, and college sports. His work has been featured on platforms like FanSided, Athlon Sports, The Sporting News, Lakers All Day Everyday, and others.
In his free time, Toran enjoys spending time with family and friends, staying active, and traveling. More about Toran Flores
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