BOSTON — The anticipation for Jayson Tatum’s return is building in Boston. The circumstantial evidence is piling up to suggest it’s going to happen any day now.
For example, his docuseries featuring behind-the-scenes footage of his recovery was originally pitched to the media as a five-part series that will air on a weekly basis, but four of the five episodes have now been released in nine days, including three in the past two days.
Cue the Brian Windhorst meme, “now why would they do that?”
Sports Illustrated’s Chris Mannix, appearing on FanDuel TV, said, “Every indication I've been getting is that we are getting very close. … If it's not Friday, it's at some point, quickly after that, I think we've gone past the point of, will he be back, and now it's down to when he will come back.”
Whether it’s Friday or later, Tatum will be back on the floor this season. On the outside, there is some feeling that Tatum is coming back too soon. An analysis of how Tatum’s recovery compares to that of others done by Tom Haberstroh shows Tatum’s presumed return within the 10-month window is on the short end of the spectrum.
Comparatively speaking, it’s true. Most guys take longer to return. But that being true doesn’t mean Tatum is rushing. In fact, if anything has been made clear throughout this entire process, it’s that Tatum won’t play basketball unless he’s absolutely ready.
"When we feel 100%, it'll be a group getting together and talking,” Brad Stevens said last month. “I think our medical people are really good. I think his doctors are really good. So we're going to listen to them. He's listening to them. I think Nick [Sang] and him have had an amazing work ethic throughout this whole recovery. When it's right, then we'll all sit down and talk about it. There's still no force from us. There's no pressure from us. But there's also not gonna be any of us saying, 'Well, why doesn't he just take another week?' When he's ready, he's ready."
Tatum has been diligent about checking all the boxes before moving on to his next steps. He may be fighting his own impulses to prove some kind of point by returning, but Tatum has a strong support system that has his best interests in mind.
Tatum has always called his mother his best friend, and her guidance through the recovery is striking in the docuseries. She has an understanding of what’s at stake, and seems to have been keeping Tatum both motivated but grounded. Tatum’s team and the Boston Celtics staff all seem to understand that no one wants to go through this again. Rushing back to put him at risk of reinjury doesn’t make sense for anyone involved.
He’ll be back any day now, it seems, and that's because this is when he’ll be determined to be fully healthy and ready to play NBA basketball. His surgeon wouldn’t risk his reputation as the best in the business by clearing him early. The front office wouldn’t risk the future of the franchise’s championship hopes by pushing him onto the floor. His family doesn’t want to see him go through this painful rehab again.
Tatum will be back on the floor soon because it’s the next natural step for him. Everything we’ve seen from him and the people around him up until now should give everyone the confidence that the right decision is being made.