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Kendrick Perkins doesn’t think the Celtics need Jayson Tatum in order to win the 2026 NBA Finals
The Boston Celtics are rolling, as they have now won eight of their past nine games in the wake of their blowout 111-89 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers on Sunday night. Even without their best player, Jayson Tatum, the Celtics have remained one of the top teams in the league this season, which recently led to one of their former players, Kendrick Perkins, issuing a scary warning to the rest of the NBA.
Tatum has missed the entire 2025-26 campaign to this point as he recovers from a torn Achilles tendon he suffered in the playoffs last year. He appears close to making a return to the court for the C’s, but with the team sitting in second place in the Eastern Conference currently, Perkins believes Boston can win a championship, even if Tatum doesn’t end up returning to the court.
Kendrick Perkins Drops Truth Bomb on Celtics’ Title Hopes
“They can go to the NBA Finals without [Jayson] Tatum. … They are the most dangerous team in the NBA because they have zero expectations.”
@KendrickPerkins breaks down why he thinks the Celtics can make a championship run without Jayson Tatum 🏆
The 2025-26 campaign was expected to be a reset year of sorts for the Celtics, and it’s not too hard to see why. Not only was the team set to be without Tatum for most, if not all, of the season, but guys like Kristaps Porzingis, Jrue Holiday, Al Horford, and Luke Kornet all departed over the offseason.
And yet, none of that has mattered to this point, as Boston has remained one of the top teams in the league. Jaylen Brown has turned himself into a de facto MVP candidate, and head coach Joe Mazzulla and his staff have managed to get the most out of their scrappy supporting cast. Put it all together, and their success is one of the biggest surprises of the season.
It appears as if Tatum is closing in on a return to the court for the Celtics, which would make them even more of a title threat than they already are. If you ask Perkins, though, based on what he’s seen from the C’s this season, he doesn’t even think they need Tatum in order to win the 2026 NBA Finals.
“They can go to the NBA Finals without Tatum,” Perkins said on “First Take.” “They are the most dangerous team in the NBA because they have zero expectations. They are literally playing with house money, and that is a dangerous thing.”
Jayson Tatum Appears Close to Returning from Injury for Celtics
GettyBoston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum dunks the ball. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)
There’s no doubt that the Celtics have been playing great basketball this season, but adding Tatum back into the fold would make them all the more dangerous. While they could go on a deep run without him, you obviously want your best players on the court at all times. There’s a risk that comes with returning from all serious injuries, but Boston has bought itself some time in order to make sure that Tatum isn’t being rushed back into action.
Could the C’s actually win it all without Tatum? It’s tough to say, as they have more holes on their roster than in years past, which could be exploited throughout the course of a seven-game playoff series. For now, the Celtics are still waiting to find out whether or not Tatum will even play this season, and they will look to keep the good times rolling when they square off against the Phoenix Suns on Tuesday night.
Owen Crisafulli Owen Crisafulli is a Breaking News Writer at Heavy. In addition to writing for Heavy, Owen works as a Content Producer for More Views Media. His work has also appeared on ClutchPoints, The Sporting News, Athlon Sports, Basketball Network, and FanSided, where he shared his insights on a variety of sports topics primarily surrounding the NFL, NBA, and MLB. More about Owen Crisafulli
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