Jayson Tatum’s comeback was never officially scheduled for this season, but there was optimism the Celtics star would be back at some point. However, that’s no guarantee after a recent report from NBA insider Chris Haynes put that into doubt. Tatum is “re-evaluating his situation” as far as returning this season, per Haynes.
That doesn’t mean Tatum had any setback or anything else during his rehab from a ruptured Achilles tendon. Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla, on an appearance on 98.5’s Zolak and Bertrand, gave an update on Tatum’s status Thursday.
“He’s progressing naturally,” Mazzulla said. “I’ve just trusted really our sports science team. He’s got a great team around him and really just trusting that process. He’s checking his boxes. There’re checkpoints obviously that you have to go through in the rehab process. He’s hitting those and continuing to work.”
Tatum also told ESPN he hasn’t made a decision either way on returning this season. The Celtics are currently 29-18 and 47 games into the season, so any decision doesn’t have to be immediate. There are also hurdles he’ll have to clear when it comes to his rehab before getting back on the court.
The timing of the Tatum news is interesting considering some recent comments he made on “The Pivot Podcast.” Tatum admitted he wonders what his comeback would look like if he returned to a team that’s had a strong season.
“There is a thought in my head, ‘How does that work?’ or ‘How does that look with me integrating myself off with injury and 50, 60 games into a season?’” Tatum said. “Obviously, there could be some challenges. It is a thought like, ‘Damn, do I come back? Or should I wait?’ It’s something that honestly, recently, in the last two weeks or so just kind of contemplate every single day.”
From Mazzulla’s perspective, he pointed out two things about Tatum’s comments. First, Mazzulla appreciated Tatum’s vulnerability in terms of admitting there are doubts about how he would affect the Celtics. Second, Mazzulla was blunt about that apprehension: “He’ll just come back and make us better.”
“He knows that if we get him back, we’re just going to be a better team,” Mazzulla said. “There’s no ifs ands or buts about that. You should never be worried about disrupting in a negative way. But he’ll be disrupting in a positive way because he’ll just make us better on both ends of the floor.”
It remains to be seen which way Tatum decides in the upcoming weeks. The calendar is about to turn to February, so there is still time during the regular season. However, if or when Tatum returns, he’ll be on a minutes restriction because he’ll need time to ease back into live action.
The Celtics have been plenty supportive of Tatum throughout the season. They haven’t put a timeline on his return and haven’t speculated about it this year. Tatum has been a consistent figure with the team, attending both home and away games.
“The mindset has been relatively consistent where it has been the entire season,” Mazzulla said. “We don’t know yet. It was never a yes; it was never a no. It was let’s work as hard as you can. Trusting the sports science team. Trusting his development, whether it’s in the weight room, on the training table and put yourself in the best possible position to be as healthy as you can be and re-evaluate it.”