After suffering a torn right Achilles tendon 10 months ago, Jayson Tatum is finally coming back for the Boston Celtics. The question is now when, not if, after ESPN's Shams Charania reported Thursday that Tatum will return this season.
Tatum could make his season debut as soon as Friday night against the Dallas Mavericks. He was listed as questionable on Thursday's injury report.
On Thursday's episode of "The Bill Simmons Podcast," Simmons was joined by The Ringer's Michael Pina and Joe House to discuss Tatum's impending return.
"I would anticipate short stints for him. I would anticipate him obviously starting and then subbing out after maybe the first TV timeout," Pina predicted. He also agreed with Simmons that Tatum will eventually take Baylor Scheierman's minutes.
Simmons wasn't so sure about Tatum starting, saying the Celtics may be more cautious with him and bring him off the bench initially. He thinks Tatum might play the last five minutes of each quarter.
House provided his gambling perspective, saying he wagered on Boston to win the Eastern Conference, on Joe Mazzulla to win NBA Coach of the Year and the Celtics to win the NBA Finals.
Boston was already favored to win the East before the Tatum news broke, as his return was being priced in. At DraftKings Sportsbook, the Celtics are +240 to win the East. They also have the fourth-shortest title odds at +900 behind the Oklahoma City Thunder, Denver Nuggets and San Antonio Spurs.
Mazzulla has the second-best Coach of the Year odds behind J.B. Bickerstaff at +425.
Time will tell if Tatum returns on Friday and how his comeback will play out. He has over a month to ramp up before the playoffs and get ready to help Boston pursue its second championship in three years.
More NBA: Cooper Flagg Reveals What Facing Jayson Tatum in Boston Means Ahead of Mavericks-Celtics