When Jayson Tatum went down with a ruptured Achilles in the second round of last year’s playoffs, the entire future of the Boston Celtics organization changed. For many, the 2025-26 campaign immediately turned into a gap year, especially considering all of the roster-altering moves they had to make in order to duck the second apron (losing Jrue Holiday, Kristaps Porzingis, Al Horford, and Luke Kornet).

But while Tatum has been sidelined, the Celtics have given him the greatest gift he could have possibly asked for: They’ve been competitive. No, they’ve been great. Instead of struggling to compete with Tatum out of the lineup, Boston has thrived.

And because of that, they will be set up to compete as soon as Tatum returns.

Celtics look one Jayson Tatum away from a championship

Everything has gone beautifully for the Celtics this season. After a 0-3 start to the season, they’ve surged back up the standings and are now sitting in third place in the Eastern Conference.

All of the pieces they could possibly need to compete when Tatum comes back are falling into place.

First and foremost, Jaylen Brown has been a top-five player in the NBA this season. He’s taken the chance to be the Celtics’ No. 1 option and run with it. Once Tatum comes back, the two stars should be able to support one another better than ever.

Joe Mazzulla also looks like one of the best coaches in the league. The way he has completely altered the Celtics’ play style has been brilliant, and it should bode well for the team’s long-term success.

Derrick White is still an elite defender (and his shot has come around, too), and Payton Pritchard has gotten comfortable as the team’s starting point guard.

But perhaps most importantly, the Celtics’ depth has proven worthy of helping lift a championship team. When they pawned off Porzingis, Holiday, Horford, and Kornet this summer, that was a major concern. But not anymore.

Neemias Queta looks capable of holding things down as a backup center (or even a starter) on a title team. Jordan Walsh has emerged as a potential long-term starter for Boston with his elite defense. Hugo Gonzalez is only 19 years old and is seemingly ready to play huge minutes for elite basketball teams.

That doesn’t even include Baylor Scheierman’s improvements, Josh Minott’s hustle, and Luka Garza’s offensive rebounding.

There was a chance that while Tatum was recovering, he was simultaneously watching the Celtics fall apart. That hasn’t happened. In fact, it’s been the opposite.

As he’s recovered, Tatum has watched the Celtics blossom into the type of team that is one Jayson Tatum away from a championship.

And that’s the greatest gift they could have possibly given him.