Tatum’s East-altering Return, the Spurs’ Warp-speed Come-up, and a Trail Blazers Bonanza, With Jared Weiss and Tom Haberstroh | Group Chat

Summary of Tatum’s East-altering Return, the Spurs’ Warp-speed Come-up, and a Trail Blazers Bonanza, With Jared Weiss and Tom Haberstroh | Group Chat

by The Ringer

1h 50m•March 10, 2026
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Overview of Tatum’s East-altering Return, the Spurs’ Warp-speed Come-up, and a Trail Blazers Bonanza, With Jared Weiss and Tom Haberstroh | Group Chat

This episode of Group Chat (host Justin Verrier) features two long interviews: Jared Weiss (The Athletic) on Jason Tatum’s return to the Celtics and Jared’s new Spurs beat (Victor Wembanyama, the Jackals fan movement, and the Spurs’ sudden rise), and Tom Haberstroh on the Portland Trail Blazers (Scoot Henderson, Donovan Clingan, Shaedon Sharpe, coaching and roster construction). The conversation mixes game-day observation, injury/recovery context, roster fit questions, and what to watch in the East and West the rest of the season.

Key topics covered

  • Jason Tatum’s return from an Achilles injury: immediate impact, team fit with Jalen Brown, and postseason questions.
  • How the Celtics’ roster and spacing reconfigure with Tatum back on the floor.
  • Victor Wembanyama’s in-season leap, MVP case, and personality/competitiveness.
  • The “Jackals” — Wembanyama’s organized fan section and its civic/community effects in San Antonio.
  • Spurs’ team construction, role players and how the roster has gelled around Wembanyama.
  • Portland Trail Blazers deep-dive: Scoot Henderson’s breakout performance and efficiency, Donovan Clingan’s rapid ascent, Shaedon Sharpe’s scoring profile, Deni (role player) and how Damian Lillard’s return will matter.
  • Coaching and rotation questions (Tiago Splitter in Portland), injuries and their impact on playoff chances, and how three-point shooting/spacing determines team ceilings.

Guest highlights and perspectives

Jared Weiss (The Athletic)

  • Tatum return:
    • Atmosphere: his return felt “finals-like” in Boston, both emotionally and energy-wise; seeing him healthy again was striking after last season’s injury.
    • Performance vs. expectations: Tatum looked better than many expected in short order — physical presence, playmaking, and how his size and shooting re-open the Celtics’ offense.
    • Fit with Jalen Brown: Jared believes Brown will cede some volume but the combo improves the team — Brown’s cadence/spots differ from Tatum’s and defenses will test Tatum more in postseason (point-of-attack defense, quicker, more physical matchups).
    • Postseason caveats: regular-season looks (players “waltzing into the paint”) won’t translate unchanged to playoff defenses; conditioning, Vlatko Garza / Porziņģis availability, and Tatum’s on-ball effectiveness vs elite playoff defenses are open questions.
  • Victor Wembanyama and Spurs:
    • In-season growth: Wembanyama has tightened reads, reduced mistakes, improved timing — Jared compares his court influence to Nikola Jokić’s templates (not as prolific passer yet, but similar in how plays flow through him).
    • MVP conversation: Jared says the “MVP smell test” is present — dominance, team success, quick-game swings — and Wemby’s recent stretch makes an MVP case plausible.
    • Personality & competitiveness: Wemby is composed, introverted, highly competitive, channels his emotions deliberately; he occasionally lets out fierce competitive moments (on-court passion).
    • The Jackals: a player-driven, organized fan section Wemby created (he vetted members, led orientations, organized chants/drum “mallett” traditions). Jared emphasizes the Jackals’ community outreach and cultural impact on San Antonio’s game experience.
    • Supporting cast and roster construction: Jared praises how Spurs rotation/playmakers (including rookies) have helped Wemby thrive; he sees San Antonio as a legit contender in the West if health and continuity hold.

Tom Haberstroh (Blazers broadcaster/writer)

  • Scoot Henderson:
    • Breakout traits: decisive, near-flawless game (e.g., a 28-point, 6-assist, 0-turnover performance) showed the kind of “mistake-free” basketball the Blazers need from him.
    • Key constraints: Scoot needs consistent three-point pressure/spacing for full impact; when teams go under screens he can struggle unless the shot’s falling.
  • Donovan Clingan:
    • Rapid rise: Clingan’s combination of rim deterrence, offensive rebounding, and a developing three-point shot make him the standout among recent first-rounders in Portland’s core. Tom placed him at the top of their draft-class productivity.
    • Defensive impact: even when not blocking many shots, Clingan deters paint penetration and lowers opponents’ points in the paint when on-court.
  • Shaedon Sharpe:
    • High scoring upside and elite athletic finishing; his ceiling is high but current efficiency and three-point consistency remain the questions. If he stabilizes his shooting, his scoring profile could become much more dangerous.
  • Damian Lillard & team fit:
    • Integration questions: how Lillard returns (post-Achilles), whether he accepts more off-ball duties, and how that meshes with the team’s young drivers (Scoot, Shaedon, Denni/“Denny”—discussed as a key piece) will shape the Blazers’ next step.
  • Coaching & rotation:
    • Tiago Splitter’s preferred identity (up-tempo, 94-foot defense/pressure) worked at times but injuries and rotation churn have forced adjustments. A healthy return of key players will reveal whether that identity sticks and whether Portland can secure a playoff spot.

Main takeaways

  • Tatum’s quick and high-level return instantly re-elevates the Celtics as the favorites in the East, but playoff defenses and matchups will be a truer measure of readiness.
  • Wembanyama’s year-to-year in-season growth is real: cleaner reads, fewer mistakes, higher impact on both ends. He’s wearing the mantle of franchise centerpiece and the league is starting to treat him like an MVP-level candidate.
  • The Jackals are more than a gimmick — they’re an organized, player-led fan movement Wemby built that has real arena and community effects in San Antonio.
  • Portland’s season feels like an unfolding promise: Scoot Henderson flashed elite, mistake-free scoring/creation; Donovan Clingan may already be the most productive of Portland’s recent first-round crop; Shaedon Sharpe’s finishing is special but needs added consistency (especially 3PT) to unlock the team’s ceiling.
  • Across both conferences, injuries and roster fit (spacing and 3-point shooting) remain decisive; a few percentage points from deep can redefine a team’s trajectory.

Notable quotes & insights

  • On Boston’s reaction to Tatum’s return: “It felt finals-like in March — giddy, electric. Seeing him come back that quickly and look good re-catapults them in the championship discussion.”
  • On Wembanyama’s playstyle evolution: “His usage isn’t fully counted in the box score — every possession now runs through him. He’s stopped rushing and is matching his read-speed with his play-speed.”
  • On the Jackals: Wembanyama didn’t outsource it — he personally screened members, led orientations, and insisted that the group be about uplifting the Spurs and the city more than attacking opponents.
  • On Scoot Henderson (Tom): “The stat that jumps out is the zero turnovers — he showed mistake-free, decisive basketball when everything clicked.”

What to watch next (actionable items)

  • Celtics: track Tatum’s snap-to-snap effectiveness against physical playoff-caliber defenders and whether Jalen Brown’s gameflow normalizes with Tatum taking more playmaking responsibility.
  • Spurs: monitor Wembanyama’s consistency in high-stakes games, how opponents scheme him in the playoffs, and how bench/role-player development holds up when matchups tighten.
  • Blazers: watch Scoot Henderson’s shooting confidence and consistency (3PT rate/efficiency), Donovan Clingan’s two-way minute sustainability, and how Damian Lillard fits back into an evolving rotation if/when he returns.
  • League-wide: three-point shooting and spacing remain the single biggest multiplier for teams on the rise — a team that gets to ~33%+ from three on the season tends to vault into the top tier.

Episode & production notes

  • Host: Justin Verrier
  • Guests: Jared Weiss (The Athletic) and Tom Haberstroh (Blazers local broadcast/stat/features)
  • Themes: injury recovery and impact, youth development, culture shaping (Jackals), roster construction, and playoff implications.
  • Episode also included sponsor reads (Hotels.com, Spectrum Business, Tommy Hilfiger, Whole Foods, Viore, and Two Good Coffee Creamers) and conversational asides (JV Day, Luke Cornett: player-writer op-ed on Magic City, Top Chef mentions).

This episode is a good listen if you want detailed on-the-ground perspective about: Tatum’s comeback and Celtics title odds, Wembanyama’s maturation and cultural footprint in San Antonio, and why Portland’s young core suddenly looks dangerous if a few consistency/health pieces fall into place.