Jayson Tatum comeback: How Celtics will change when star returns

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Jayson Tatum comeback: How Celtics will change when star returns

Brian Robb · MassLive

Thu, Mar 5, 2026 ·

6 min read

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Jayson Tatum remains noncommittal publicly about a return to the floor this season following his Achilles tear. However, there are several signs that indicate that the Celtics star could be quickly approaching his season debut. Tatum has been practicing with the team since Feb. 9 and has been “full-go” in 5-on-5 scrimmages since the All-Star Break. Rumors continue to circulate about an imminent return , after he ramped up his activity in practice.

“He looks good,” Derrick White said Wednesday night. “Playing, moving, it’s been good to see him back and getting up and down. So, you kind of see all the work he’s put in to get to this point, and it’s been great to see him be able to do what he loves to do.

The Celtics will obviously welcome their All-Star forward back with open arms whenever he is cleared, but what will the domino effect be on Boston ’s play and rotation after 62 stellar games to open the season? Let’s examine all these variables at play, who will see their roles change, and where Tatum can make the biggest impact.

Who does Tatum replace in the starting lineup?

The Celtics could choose to bring Tatum off the bench initially to better manage a minutes limit but even a very brief reserve role would be a surprise. Tatum has started every single game of his NBA career and it’s hard to see that changing in his initial return assuming his minutes limit is at a manageable number (25?) for him to both start and close games out of the gate.

Mazzulla already proactively made one change to the starting five at the trade deadline by sending Payton Pritchard to the bench after Anfernee Simons was traded to the Bulls. He moved Baylor Scheierman into the starting five alongside Sam Hauser on the wing.

Hauser has come off the bench in 30 of his 58 appearances but he has also started every game for Boston he’s played in since Jan. 3. His floor spacing (39.4 percent from 3) makes him an ideal candidate to keep in the starting five next to Tatum unless Mazzulla wants to create a more offensively potent second unit. Scheierman has played well in recent weeks but Hauser has the far more impressive track record playing alongside Tatum and Boston’s starters at this point.

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The fact that keeping Scheierman in the starting five is even a consideration shows how far the second-year forward has come since his rookie season. He’s played 22 or more minutes in his last nine games and he has a +14.1 net rating in his last 12 appearances.

The Celtics have been even better though with Hauser on the floor in that stretch (+19.1) and the Tatum/Hauser duo had the 4th best net rating (+12.2) on the roster last season among high usage two-man duos.

Outside of Mazzulla wanting Hauser to balance out the firepower in the second unit, he seems like the favorite to remain in the starting five with Scheierman heading to the bench.

Who is the odd man out of rotation when Tatum returns?

The star forward has averaged 34.5 minutes per game in his career but that’s not a number he’s expected to hit anytime soon after a 10-month layoff from the court. Dejounte Murray just returned from an Achilles tear after 13 months and has played between 22 and 28 minutes in each of his four games.

Let’s put Tatum at 25 minutes then for at least the first week or two of his return if everything goes well. When healthy, Boston has largely played a nine or 10 man rotation for the past few weeks with two-way wing Ron Harper Jr. mixed in on certain nights.

Harper Jr. seems like the most likely candidate to fade from rotation entirely with Tatum’s return. That leaves Scheierman, Hugo Gonzalez and Jordan Walsh jockeying for bench minutes behind Tatum, Jaylen Brown and Sam Hauser on the wing when Boston is at full strength.

Mazzulla has mixed and matched all year long with this trio. The pecking order has changed most nights based on opponent and performance. Scheierman has emerged as his most trusted over the past month with Gonzalez following shortly behind.

Celtics bench wings since trade deadline	MPG
Baylor Scheierman	25.9
Hugo Gonzalez	15.8
Jordan Walsh	13.6

That’s roughly 55 minutes per night between the three of those young wings. Tatum’s return will take away 25 of those minutes in theory, but those minutes might not only come from those three guys.

Derrick White (35.6 minutes per game) and Jaylen Brown (34.2 minutes per game) have been carrying a heavier load for the past month. Their onus should go down with another creator like Tatum back on the floor, allowing Mazzulla to feel comfortable giving them extra rest while still putting winning lineups on the floor.

Hauser (27.8 minutes per game) has also been playing three minutes above his season average for the past month and far higher than his career average (19.6 minutes per game). Slightly reducing his workload to preserve him for the long haul would certainly be doable with Boston’s three younger wings coming off the bench.

Ultimately, the Celtics depth has been a surprise strength all year long and Mazzulla will have the ability to lean into it with Tatum back. If Mazzulla opts for a nine-man rotation, Walsh seems likelier to be the odd man out but it’s probably going to depend on matchups more than anything else. Carving out 10-plus minutes per night for all three guys seems workable before Tatum works back to a heavier workload.

Where Tatum’s return could help most?

Few expected for the Celtics to have the fourth-best record and second-best point differential in the NBA before Tatum even returned to the floor. Adding a perennial All-Star to the biggest surprise team in the NBA should have its benefits even if Tatum isn’t at full strength this season.

The most glaring weak spot in Boston’s profile is at getting to the free throw line offensively. Boston ranks dead last in the NBA in free throw rate despite having the second best offense in the league. Tatum led the Celtics in free throw attempts per game for the last four seasons so his presence could provide a major boost in that department.

Tatum has also routinely been Boston’s best defensive rebounder this decade among non-bigs. He should only bolster that area which has steadily improved all year long (the Celtics are currently 8th in defensive rebound rate).

Whether Tatum employs the offensive rebounding crashing that Mazzulla has emphasized across the roster this season will be intriguing to monitor. But his length could certainly make him an asset there as well.

Even if Tatum isn’t at full strength, his shot creation and low turnover rate could give the Celtics the biggest midseason addition to any roster this year.

Who does Tatum replace in the starting lineup?

Who is the odd man out of rotation when Tatum returns?

Where Tatum’s return could help most?

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