Celtics star Jayson Tatum has progressed to a new step in his recovery from a torn Achilles, according to one NBA insider. The Boston forward is now scrimmaging with coaches in controlled 5-on-5 settings according to ESPN’s Shams Charania but there are still multiple checkpoints for him to hit before he’s cleared to play.
“He’s aggressively attacked his rehab at every turn,” Charania said on ESPN’s NBA Countdown on Sunday. “There’s more boxes for Jayson Tatum to check. There’s more phases in his rehab. He’s got to practice with the team, of course. Again, there’s also the nerves of coming back from an injury of this magnitude to a really good team that has aspirations of advancing in the playoffs.”
Those comments fall in line with what Celtics president of basketball operations Brad Stevens said about his star on Friday after the trade deadline.
“He’s hit a lot of the thresholds,” Stevens said. “He’s doing more and more and will continue to do more and more. He’s still got a ways to go.”
Charania also provided some insight into Tatum’s mindset as he moves to the final stages of his recovery and weighs a potential return to the court this year.
“Jayson Tatum has made clear to people around him that he wants to come back as close to Jayson Tatum as possible,” Charania said. “Not a shell of himself, not a lesser percentage of himself. The other side of all that is the Celtics medical staff will have to clear him 100 percent before he can return and he himself will have to feel 100 percent confident and trust in that leg before he makes a potential return this season.”
Tatum spoke about his reservations about returning this season on a recent appearance on “The Pivot Podcast,” last month when it comes to potentially messing with Boston’s chemistry on the court.
“That’s something I contemplate every day,” Tatum said. “More so about the team. If or when I do come back this season, they would have played 50-something odd games without me. They have an identity this year or things that they’ve felt that has clicked for them and it’s been successful. Second team in the East, up to this point.
“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?’ 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.”
However, Stevens tried to put those concerns aside on Friday when discussing Tatum’s recovery, placing the focus solely on Tatum’s own body rather than any disruption his possible return could cause.
“If he needs it, I’ll tell him every day, because every team, you know, all 30 of us, would be way, way, way better with him on your team,” Stevens said.
Tatum underwent surgery on his Achilles on May 13 of last year. His father, Justin, told ESPN after the surgery that was targeting 8-9 months for a return.