12 takes on Jayson Tatum’s return, the Pistons’ skid and the most dangerous team in the East

With five weeks to go in the NBA’s regular season, the Eastern Conference playoff race is heating up. Jayson Tatum’s return to the Celtics after a 10-month absence from an Achilles injury is a game-changer in the title picture.

The East-leading Pistons, meanwhile, are currently on a four-game losing streak. Plus, several teams on the bottom of the bracket are beginning to look like playoff threats. Let’s take a look.

What’s your biggest (early) takeaway from Tatum’s return?

Dan Devine: That it offered both a great reminder of just how much stuff Tatum does well, and of the degree to which these Celtics don’t need him to be able to do all of it all the time. At least, not yet.

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Tatum missed his first six shots against Dallas and nine of his last 11 shots against Cleveland; he’s just 8-for-26 outside the restricted area. That hasn’t tanked his minutes, though, because he’s still hitting the glass and using his size on defense; still drawing defensive attention, reading the coverage quickly and moving the ball. The shot-making will come and go, but the rest of his game looks shockingly sharp. When he doesn’t have it going, Jaylen Brown, Payton Pritchard and Derrick White can handle the scoring load. And when he does get it going … well, look out.

Morten Stig Jensen: Very, very impressed. I’ve said for a while that even if Boston got the 70% version of him, it’s a major upgrade, and honestly, that number was aiming high. Yet, here we are, and he looks like the all-around star that he is. Let’s ignore the shooting percentages for now, and instead focus on how he’s giving the Celtics exactly what they need.

Kelly Iko: The Celtics have essentially been a top-five defense all season, but is it possible that, because of his offensive greatness and his extended absence, we actually forgot just how impactful Tatum can be on that end?

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Let’s throw out Friday’s game vs. Dallas, his first game back in nearly a year against a tanking unit. Tatum spent a good chunk of his 27 minutes on Sunday guarding Donovan Mitchell and James Harden, holding them to a combined 1-for-7 from the…

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Author : Yahoo Sports Staff

Publish date : 2026-03-09 17:06:00

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