Celtics get the Jayson Tatum news they need to make the NBA Finals

The Boston Celtics are "getting close" to welcoming Jayson Tatum back to the hardwood, 10 months from his devastating Achilles tendon rupture in the NBA playoffs.

But the Celtics team that Tatum reportedly is set to rejoin in the coming teams has a different look relative to when he suffered his injury.

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Speaking Wednesday on FanDuel TV, Sports Illustrated's Chris Mannix said Tatum's return could happen as soon as Friday, when the Celtics host the Dallas Mavericks. However, Mannix cautioned there could be some "wonkiness" as Tatum "tries to find his way" next to Jaylen Brown amid Brown's career season.

"When we get to April, while I don't think we'll see the version of Jayson Tatum that we saw last year, we'll see a version of him that's going to be a productive part of this team," Mannix said.

Not only will Tatum have a minutes restriction upon his return, but Mannix says that the five-time All-NBA selection knows that he's "stepping onto Jaylen Brown's team." Brown is averaging 29.0 points per game this season and appears to be a legitimate MVP candidate, having guided the Celtics to a 41-20 record and the #2 seed in the Eastern Conference without Tatum.

But Mannix still expects a healthy Tatum to make the Celtics a better team -- maybe even one that can upend the Detroit Pistons in a hypothetical Eastern Conference Finals matchup.

"Twenty-five minutes of Jayson Tatum is better than 25 minutes you're getting from a lot of the guys that are on this roster," Mannix said.

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