The Cleveland Cavaliers, just like the rest of the Eastern Conference, thought the Boston Celtics would take a gap year this season. Not having Jayson Tatum and moving on from most of their championship core was a big blow.
That hasn't been the case so far. Joe Mazzulla's team is sitting at the No. 2 spot in the East, and they just added prime reinforcements in Nikola Vucevic. Now, it looks like they will also get their franchise player back.
Tatum is already doing some 5-on-5 work, and he was assigned to their G League affiliate. Considering that, ESPN analyst Tim McMahon believes a return is on its way. Talking on The Hoops Collective, he said this would pose a major threat to everybody in the East.
The Cavs better hope Jayson Tatum doesn't come back this season
"I get trying to temper expectations," McMahon said. "But the fact that the guy is playing 5-on-5 with two months remaining in the regular season and the Celtics are where they are in the standings, it's hard not to anticipate that Tatum is gonna come back at some point this season."
The Cavs split the season series with the Celtics last season. Adding De'Andre Hunter to the mix looked like the perfect way to counter Tatum's athleticism in the wing, but he's no longer on the roster.
Adding James Harden obviously gives them another elite scorer and an offensive punch, but unless Jaylon Tyson takes another leap on the defensive end of the floor, they might struggle to keep up with him and Jaylen Brown.
The Celtics are well-coached and -- clearly -- much deeper than most people thought entering this season. They also have a championship pedigree and extensive playoff experience, not to mention thirst for vengeance after how things fared last season.
Even so, that's not to say that the Cavs should just lie down and play dead. They added Harden because they believe they can make a run at a championship right now, even knowing that Tatum was probably going to play this season. They have to like their chances, and they're playing their best basketball right now.
Also, the Celtics should be extremely cautious with his recovery. He looks way ahead of schedule, but even if he does return -- which is still a big 'if' -- they might not want to put that much on his plate until the offseason.