Jayson Tatum hasn’t played a single game this season, yet the Boston Celtics have emerged as the second-best team in the Eastern Conference with just over a quarter of the schedule remaining. They’re also locked in a tight race with the New York Knicks for the Atlantic Division title.
One week after NBA All-Star Weekend wrapped up, the Celtics jumped ahead of the Knicks in the standings, moving into the #2 playoff seed behind the first-place Detroit Pistons. The Celtics trailed the Pistons by 5.5 games. The Knicks were 6.5 games out of first and behind the Celtics by one full game.
BetMGM lists Boston at +110 to win the Atlantic Division, while the Knicks have slipped to -130. The Celtics saw their Eastern Conference title odds improve to +340, slightly ahead of the Knicks at +400. The Celtics are now tied for fourth overall to win the 2026 championship at +1200, while the Knicks dipped to +1500.
Pivoting from a Rebuilding Season to a Title Contender
Joe Mazzulla, the Celtics’ eccentric head coach, has built a winning culture since abruptly taking over before the 2022–23 season. In just his second year, he delivered a championship with his uncompromising vision.
A Forbes profile from last year praised Mazzulla’s big-picture thinking. “Business leaders, take note,” Don Yaeger wrote. “Mazzulla’s approach is a masterclass in fostering both short-term performance and long-term growth.”
When Jayson Tatum tore his Achilles tendon in the 2025 Eastern Conference Semifinals, everyone assumed the Celtics would hibernate in rebuilding mode while he recovered. General manager Brad Stevens appeared to signal as much, shedding large contracts and reshaping the roster in the offseason. Instead, it’s been business as usual.
Mazzulla has preached an “adapt and overcome” mentality since day one, and the team’s success without Tatum is a testament to that philosophy.
Mazzulla expects every player to be ready at a moment’s notice. He isn’t afraid to shuffle lineups, tweak rotations, or trust bench players in crunch time. The locker room is conditioned to handle disruption, even when he’s the architect of the “controlled madness.”
His players call him “Psycho Joe” for a reason, and it’s meant as a sincere compliment. While Mazzulla can bristle with the media, his team respects his blunt and direct style. There are no mind games. Players know where they stand, what’s expected, and why they’re in or out of his doghouse.
Jaylen Brown and Company Stepping Up
With Tatum sidelined, Jaylen Brown has become the focal point of the offense. Brown posted career highs across the board with 29.2 points, 7.0 rebounds, and 4.9 assists per game. He averages seven more points than last season.
Last season’s Sixth Man of the Year, Payton Pritchard, slid into the starting lineup. Pritchard averages career bests with 17.6 points, 5.3 assists, and 4.2 rebounds per game. He’s now the team’s second-best scorer behind Brown.
Derrick White is also enjoying a career year with 17.0 points and 6.7 assists per game, giving Mazzulla plenty of confidence in his preferred triple-guard lineup built around Brown, White, and Pritchard.
Neemias Queta has emerged as the team’s unsung hero. In his third season with Boston, Queta stepped into a starting role. He’s averaging 9.7 points, 8.3 rebounds, and 1.3 blocks as the team’s primary rim protector.
Without Tatum, role players have stepped up. Sam Hauser has started 25 games at forward and is posting career highs across the board. Luka Garza, previously limited to mop-up duty in Minnesota, has become an efficient and reliable contributor in his first season with Boston.
When Will Tatum Return?
“If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it!” Should Mazzulla take that to heart and resist the urge to rush Tatum back into the lineup?
Every fan in New England wants to know when Tatum will return. He’s participated in full-court, 5-on-5 scrimmages, but there’s still no timetable. Based on Mazzulla’s irked tone in interviews and press conferences, he’s clearly weary of the constant questions.
Tatum’s return could disrupt the team’s current rhythm, making patience the prudent play. There’s also a compelling case for protecting the franchise superstar and minimizing the risk of reinjury.
Then again, the Eastern Conference is wide open. The Pistons may lead the East, but they lack playoff experience. The Cavs made a splash by acquiring James Harden, but he’s been prone to disappearing in big playoff games. The Knicks are also an unknown entity under first-year head coach Mike Brown.
This could be a carpe diem moment when the Celtics seize any opportunity to hoist another championship banner in the rafters. If Tatum is the missing piece for a postseason run, Mazzulla needs to carefully reintegrate him back into the rotation in March and April.
Remaining Schedule: Tough Road
The Celtics face the sixth-hardest remaining schedule. They still have two matchups with the defending champion Oklahoma City Thunder, along with games against Western Conference heavyweights in the Denver Nuggets and San Antonio Spurs. They also must navigate key contests against the Minnesota Timberwolves, Cavs, and Knicks. Their toughest stretch comes in early March with a brutal three-game road trip against the Cavs, Spurs, and Thunder.
Meanwhile, the Knicks have a softer schedule in the last quarter of the season, ranked only the 22nd toughest. The Knicks face top contenders from the Western Conference, including the Thunder twice, the Nuggets, the Spurs, and the Houston Rockets. They also have huge clashes against the Celtics and Cavs. The Knicks begin March with a grueling five-game road trip out to the West Coast.
Both the Knicks and Celtics close the season with four of their final five games at home. Boston’s lone road game in that stretch is against the Knicks at Madison Square Garden. That matchup could decide the Atlantic Division title or playoff positioning.
Tatum or no Tatum, the Celtics remain in the hunt for another NBA championship.
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