“They ain’t got no what ifs” - Channing Frye believes Jayson Tatum’s return makes Boston the team to beat
The return of superstar wingman Jayson Tatum to the Boston Celtics ' lineup has complicated the title puzzle for many teams in the NBA. After all, not many teams can say they added a bona fide All-Star and All-NBA team member to their roster near the end of the regular season.
But here JT is, adding more oomph to a Celtics team that has not only held the fort but has actually seized the second-best record in the Eastern Conference despite not having Tatum for most of the season.
This dynamic has led former NBA champion Channing Frye to declare that, with MVP candidate Jaylen Brown and Tatum back together again, the Celtics are worthy contenders for the crown.
A team that knows who they are
As the regular season winds down, several teams have shown chinks in their armor. In the East, the Pistons have lost four of their last five games and it remains to be seen whether their play in the regular season will translate into postseason success.
Meanwhile, the Knicks have looked vulnerable. The Celtics, on the other hand, have held steady, thanks to the play of their main guys, JB, Payton Pritchard and Derrick White and the no-frills contributions of their role players.
Channing said that Tatum coming in to do what he usually does can put the Celtics over the top.
"If he's rolling, I think they win it," he declared . "If he continues to stay healthy and is rolling, gets you that 17 to 22, we're looking at — obviously, OKC has injuries with JDub and all the other teams got a lot of what-ifs."
"I don't know what what-ifs does Boston have other than Vooch (Nikola Vucevic) coming back?" Channing added. "We're looking at like, okay, Detroit, what if? San Antonio, what if? Minnesota, OKC, Denver — what if, what if, what if. You look at Boston, you're like, what? They ain't got no what-ifs."
The Celtics are a team that knows its strengths and weaknesses. And with a brilliant coach and motivator in Joe Mazzula, they have the potential to overcome any obstacles that come their way in the postseason.
Tatum has looked so far
JT has played in three games since returning from the Achilles tendon tear that he suffered in last season's playoffs. He's averaging 19.7 points, 6.7 rebounds and 3.7 assists in 27.0 minutes of action per game. While the former Duke standout is clearly still trying to regain his rhythm, Channing said what has been impressive is his tenacity on the glass and focus on just fitting in, not standing out.
"For somebody to come back and the scoring part — whatever — 12 rebounds after coming back is a lot of work right now. Twenty and three, I thought that would be more like him. But for him to be rolling the way he is, and like he's coming in free of mind because they're like, 'We're already good. I just get to add whatever I do to this,'" Frye remarked. "It's not like he's running a new system. So to me it's impressive — his work ethic."
Richard Jefferson also chimed in, saying that at this point, Tatum doesn't need to pressure himself to deliver his usual numbers; JB has got that part on lock. This means that whatever he can contribute to the Celtics' cause right now is just gravy.
"If he's a 17 to 22 — we're not looking for 28, we're not looking for that — but if he can give them consistently 17 to 20, they're a completely different roster," RJ stated. "They should be the favorite. If he can consistently give them 17 a game, I would look at them as the favorite in the conference."
The Celtics are the real deal. With Brown's season-long brilliance, the confidence that White and Pritchard have gained, and the return of Tatum, this team is poised to make a lot of noise come playoff time.
Related: "That s–t sucks" - Jayson Tatum on the toughest part of his Boston Celtics return
This story was originally published by Basketball Network on Mar 12, 2026, where it first appeared in the Latest News section. Add Basketball Network as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
