Boston Celtics star Jayson Tatum is poised to play as early as Friday night against the Dallas Mavericks, according to ESPN's Shams Charania.

The Boston Celtics have been surprisingly great without Jayson Tatum this season, but they still need him if they want to win a championship.

Boston Celtics star Jayson Tatum is on the verge of making a return to NBA action nine months after rupturing his right Achilles tendon injury during last season’s playoffs. Tatum was listed as questionable on the Celtics’ injury report on Thursday ahead of the team’s home matchup with the Dallas Mavericks on Friday night.

We’re going to be on Jayson Tatum watch with the Celtics for the next few weeks, but the No. 2 team in the East still has business on the court, whether Tatum is out there or not. The Celtics are in Milwaukee for a game against the Bucks Monday night after playing the 76ers at home Sunday.

SportsLine's model reveals its Boston Celtics vs. Milwaukee Bucks predictions and NBA picks today

With the Celtics near the top of the East standings, they’re once again projecting to have their draft pick near the end of the first round. Of course, that hasn’t necessarily been a bad thing for the C’s front office and Brad Stevens.

The Celtics posted one of the best offensive performances in league history on Friday night against the Nets.