Jayson Tatum shared a relatively optimistic update 25 days into rehabbing his ruptured Achilles tendon. But the road back to the court will be a long one as the emotions will naturally swing both ways.
So, 20 days after his first update, it was more of a frustrating message he sent on social media: “Day 45… this is some (expletive)." In a different update, Tatum posted a video of himself already back in the gym to get workouts in despite the boot on his right foot.
Tatum has shared some of his rehab process on social media as he makes his way back from the long-term injury. His torn Achilles came against the Knicks in the second round of the playoffs, ending his year and putting his next season in doubt.
But by all indications, Tatum has hit the rehab process hard as he’s been seen consistently at the Auerbach Center, per Boston president Brad Stevens. Jaylen Brown has also been consistently in the facility after getting knee surgery on a partially torn meniscus, though Brown’s timeframe is much shorter as he’ll be ready for training camp.
“We’ve seen both those guys very frequently,” Stevens said. “Jaylen’s been here working with Drew Moore on all his rehab and Jayson with Nick (Sang). It’s usually the time of year I don’t see those guys a lot. They usually rest and get away. But they both prioritize getting better and rehabbing and after a long season I appreciate that about them.”
The Celtics have already made some changes as they expect Tatum to be out for a significant portion of time. The C’s traded away Jrue Holiday and Kristaps Porzingis in separate deals to trim payroll. They also drafted three new prospects, including Hugo Gonzalez in the first round, as they look toward the future.
But at this point, it’s unclear when Tatum will be back on the court. That’s no surprise considering he got the surgery just last month. For now, all the Celtics can do is hope his rehab goes smoothly as they look to build a roster that can compete once Tatum is back on the court.
“We won’t put a projected timeline on him for a long, long time,” Stevens said. “As we look at it, there’s no reason to. It’s baby steps right now. He’s actually progressed great, but I don’t know what that means with regard to projected timelines. And that’ll be in consultation with him and Nick and Phil Coles and everybody else to make sure when he hits the court, he is fully ready and fully healthy. And that will be the priority.”