Week’s Results:
108 – 81 W @ Bucks
118 – 89 L vs Hornets
120-100 W vs Mavericks
109 – 98 W @ Cavaliers
The Return of Jayson Tatum
Achilles tears can often derail elite athletes’ careers and set a player on a totally different path than they originally set out on. For Jayson Tatum that was not an option, his determination and commitment towards returning to the big stage has always been evident. Boston’s All-NBA forward had always set his sights on lacing up again in 2026, yet historically players post-Achilles tear almost always misses the entirety of the next season’s play. To the delight of us Celtics fans, Tatum was finally scratched from the injury list on Friday ahead of Boston’s matchup against the Mavericks. Just 298 days after that fateful night at Maddison Square Garden, JT strolled out onto the TD Garden parquet. He resumed his spot in Boston’s starting line-up – alongside his running mate Jaylen Brown. It took Tatum a while to find his feet starting 0-5 from the field and air balling a couple of 3-pointers, but eventually he got on the board with a putback dunk that electrified the TD crowd. The very next trip down the floor Tatum stuck a side-step three in the corner to end the first half on a high. His overall game looked superb, and it was great to see him playing similarly to his old self. There is without a doubt a long way to go in his development, but it was another fantastic step in the right direction.
Vucevic’s Injury Update
A story that was lost in the excitement of Friday night was Nikola Vucevic picking up a serious fracture to his right ring finger. Vucevic entered the game and looked to pick up post position on the right wing, as the ball slipped loss the big man could be seen clenching his right hand, before subbing out on the next possession. Vucevic never returned and is likely to miss the rest of the month of March as he recovers. The timing of the injury couldn’t be worse for Boston as the Montenegrin center will have even less time to bed himself into their system ahead of the postseason. In the short-term Luka Garza will replace Vucevic in the rotation, as Boston chases a potential number one seeding.
Baylor’s Breakout Year
Amongst the emergence of players like Neemias Queta, Hugo Gonzales and Jordan Walsh – Baylor Scheierman’s career resurgence has gone under the radar. Last summer Scheierman looked like a poor draft decision, he had struggled to make any impact even in the summer league. Although despite our outlook Mazzulla and Stevens kept faith in the Creighton university alum. By mid-season Scheierman had become a regular fixture in Boston’s rotation, even starting until Tatum returned to action. Head Coach Mazzulla had kind words to say about the 25-year-old after his double-double on Sunday. When talking to NBC Mazzulla added “He only cares about competing and that doesn’t get rewarded enough”. Scheierman has earnt his spot on this roster moving forward and will hopefully be a contributor on many Celtics teams for years to come.
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