Why is Jayson Tatum not playing against Detroit Pistons? Latest on Celtics superstar's absence (Dec. 12)

The defending NBA champions, the Boston Celtics, will look to keep their strong season going tonight. They will square off vs. the Detroit Pistons and judging by their respective records, this could be a lopsided outing.

Even oddsmakers feel that way. At the time of writing, the Celtics are 11.5-point favorites ahead of tip-off, even though Jayson Tatum will not be available for this game.

The Celtics could be severely shorthanded for this contest, with as many as four players in their injury report: Sam Hauser, Jordan Walsh, Jaden Springer and the aforementioned Tatum.

Tatum, Hauser and Springer are listed as out for the game. Tatum's news was reported by Spotrac's Keith Smith.

What happened to Jayson Tatum?

According to the Celtics' official injury report, Tatum is dealing with right patella tendinopathy at the moment. That's a knee injury and as such, the team might want to play it safely with him.

The Celtics are still chasing the Cleveland Cavaliers for the first spot in the Eastern Conference, meaning they will need their best player for the long run and not just for tonight's game.

Jayson Tatum's season so far

Tatum may not have won Finals MVP last season, but he's surely playing like an MVP this time around. He's averaging 28.2 points, 5.7 assists and 8.9 rebounds per game.

The Celtics have relied on his timely shooting from all three levels this season and he's carried them to a 19-5 record. Tatum has only missed one game this season, Dec. 4 vs. Detroit, so he should be in the running to win his first MVP.

Mazzulla's team dropped a crucial game to the Cavaliers in the race for the top spot in the East, but they still figure to be the most stacked team not only in the Eastern Conference but in the entire NBA right now.

Kristaps Porzingis' return from injury gives them yet another boost. Moreover, it also allows them to rest veteran big man Al Horford on back-to-backs and make sure he's healthy and fresh for when it matters the most.

With Tatum out, Porzingis could be in for an expanded workload tonight. Jrue Holiday could also have more touches on offense, and Tatum's co-star, Jaylen Brown, should be asked to do most of the heavy lifting. Fortunately for Joe Mazzulla, he has more than enough resources to get by.