Jayson Tatum’s return to the floor has been one of the major highlights of the 2025-26 NBA season. The forward returned earlier this month after recovering from a devastating Achilles injury last year.
Since his return, the Celtics have gone 6-3 in their last nine games. However, their recent 102-92 loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves prompted Tracy McGrady to question the Celtics’ offense since Tatum took the court.
Tracy McGrady Questions Celtics’ Offense After Jayson Tatum’s Return
Speaking during an NBA on NBC segment, the former seven-time NBA All-Star shared his two cents on how Tatum’s return could have played a role in the Celtics’ recent style of play.
“I don’t want to say it seems out of wack, but their shooting has gone down since he’s been here,” McGrady said. “It’s really like ‘Guys, what are we doing here? Are we running the same stuff that we ran before? Are we still on the same page? Or are we divided because we’re not playing our same game?’ I’m sure that there’s a lot mentally that these guys are going through because of the insertion of JT.”
“They struggled against Memphis the other night, and they struggled tonight against a team [the Timberwolves] that didn’t have its best player. I’m sure there are some questions these guys have to answer.”
McGrady’s take comes after the dip in the Celtics’ offensive production. Their offensive rating has now come down a few notches, from 119.9 to 115.1. It is possible that integrating Tatum back into the offense after a lengthy break could affect the offense. But the former NBA star’s point is well taken, given Boston’s small window to get its rhythm back.
Since his return, Tatum has been averaging 19.1 points and has yet to hit his complete stride. The versatile forward earlier spoke about the need to get back to complete form, but also acknowledged that he was “not Superman.”
“It’s obviously gonna take some time,” Tatum said. “I think the next day, I can give myself a little more grace over certain things, but in the moment, it’s frustrating.”
The Celtics have been one of the teams to beat this season, despite Tatum’s absence. Barring their shaky stretch in their last 10 games, they are poised to make the playoffs as the second seed with a 47-24 record in the East. With 11 games left in the season, Tatum will hope to regain his fluency, while Boston will look to recalibrate its offense.
Up next, the Celtics host the defending champion OKC Thunder, followed by the Atlanta Hawks. They later hit the road for a four-game trip. Only time will tell if the side can cross the 50-win mark in their next slate of games.
