The Boston Celtics’ future was thrown up in the air in Game 4 of their Eastern Conference semifinals series against the New York Knicks when Jayson Tatum ruptured his Achilles, which is an injury that will result in him missing most, if not all, of the 2025-26 campaign.
Tatum’s injury is a crushing blow for both him and the Celtics. On an individual level, Tatum was about to enter the peak of his career at 27 years old, but instead, he now has to work his way back to full health. On a team level, Boston’s front office has to plan around being without its best player for the entirety of the upcoming season.
There’s no doubt that this is a tough time for Tatum, which he has been vocal about in a couple of social media posts since going down with this injury. If he attacks his rehab, though, he could be back on the court sooner than initially expected.
The good news for the C’s and their fans is that it looks like that’s precisely what he is doing. Tatum shared some clips of himself working out on social media over the weekend, an indication that some progress has been made in the early stages of his rehab.
Tatum starred for the Celtics once again last season, averaging 26.8 points, 8.7 rebounds, and a career-high six assists per game while shooting 45.2% from the field. Those numbers helped him earn his sixth-straight All-Star selection and fourth-straight All-NBA First Team honor.
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The string of success Tatum has enjoyed, though, has come to a screeching halt with this serious injury. It typically takes about a year for NBA players to recover from this ailment, and while Tatum is still young at just 27 years old, Boston will undoubtedly be cautious with him as he attempts to get back on the court.
With Tatum out, Boston is going to lean heavily on Jaylen Brown and Derrick White moving forward. Due to salary cap issues, the team has already traded Jrue Holiday and Kristaps Porzingis this offseason, and more deals could be on the horizon.
For now, all Tatum can do is put in the work necessary to get himself healthy as soon as possible. It may not seem like much, but he’s already made some serious strides from the look of it, and he will look to continue increasing his workload throughout the summer.
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