How Jayson Tatum’s Return Impacts Cleveland Cavaliers NBA Finals Aspirations

Jayson Tatum is back in action with the Boston Celtics. What's that mean for the Cleveland Cavaliers come time for the NBA Playoffs?

Feb 28, 2025; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers center Jarrett Allen (31) tries to hold up Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum (0) during the first quarter at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Winslow Townson-Imagn Images | Winslow Townson-Imagn Images

Boston Celtics superstar Jayson Tatum returns on Friday night.

Tatum has been sidelined since May when he ruptured his Achilles in Game 4 against the New York Knicks. Following a quick recovery, Tatum will return to the Celtics, who are the No. 2 seed in the Eastern Conference. 

What’s Tatum’s return mean for the Cleveland Cavaliers?

The Cavs are currently the No. 4 seed in the East, but find themselves just one game behind the Knicks in the standings for the No. 3 seed.

Similarly to the Celtics, the Cavs haven’t been playing with a full deck all season. They’ve spent significant time without Jarrett Allen, Evan Mobley and Darius Garland, who was traded at the deadline for James Harden. Superstar Donovan Mitchell has kept the Cavs afloat, but he’s missed four straight games with a groin injury.

With Mitchell and Harden leading the way, the Cavs are one of the most talented teams in the NBA. Allen’s game has flourished with Harden running point guard, and Mitchell has remained a perennial MVP sleeper every season that he’s been with the Cavaliers.

It might be tough for the Cavaliers to catch the Celtics in the Eastern Conference standings.

But after the Cavaliers were unceremoniously bounced in the Eastern Conference Semifinals against the Indiana Pacers, Mitchell said it best. Nobody would’ve cared if the Cavs went 82-0. The regular season doesn’t matter and hasn’t mattered for the Cavaliers. They’ll be measured by success in the NBA Playoffs.

A meeting between the Cavs and Celtics in the postseason would be a difficult draw for Cleveland this season. While Tatum will need time to reacclimate himself to the speed of the NBA, the Cavaliers are still getting their own ducks in a row.

Mitchell, Harden, Mobley and Allen haven’t had much time to gel. Even though Tatum will need a few games to get his legs underneath him, he’s won a championship with Jaylen Brown, who has played at an MVP level this season.

The Celtics are likely to have a higher seed than the Cavaliers, meaning if these two teams were to meet in the NBA postseason, Boston would have homecourt advantage.

Cavaliers vs. Celtics would be the most difficult postseason series that Cleveland has faced in the Mitchell era. It would be a tall task for the Cavaliers, who were stitched together at the deadline to give themselves a serious chance at the NBA Finals.