The Boston Celtics should plan to have Jayson Tatum sit out for the entirety of next season in order to ensure that he comes back fully healthy the season after. Kevin Durant was benched for the entire year after he tore his Achilles in the 2019 NBA Finals, and since then, he’s played extremely high-level basketball.
Though it will undoubtedly be painful to watch Tatum sit on the sidelines for all of next season, the most important thing in a situation like this is to protect the rest of his career. If he comes back too early from the injury in an attempt to help the Celtics, it could alter the course of his career.
That’s simply not worth it.
What is Jayson Tatum’s projected return timeline?
According to Marc J. Spears, Tatum’s dad stated that the Celtics superstar is aiming to be back on the floor in eight to nine months. "Jayson actually had a surgery from the same guy that did [Kevin] Durant's surgery, and did Tiger Wood's surgery," Spears said on NBA Today. "He had it the next day. His dad says that he expects him to be out eight to nine months."
That would put the projected return timeline at around January or February of next season, so right around the All-Star break. If Tatum were to make it back in that time, it would be an incredibly quick turnaround.
On the other hand, according to Noa Dalzell of CelticsBlog, who spoke with UPenn’s Dr. Lou Soslowsky, the recovery time for this injury could range from seven to 18 months, which is a huge range.
“Dr. Soslowsky said that the return to injury spans from anywhere between 7 months to a year and a half, and it’s nearly impossible at this point to determine which of those scenarios is most realistic,” Dalzell wrote. “In a few months, Tatum and the Celtics will be able to assess where he’s at in his recovery and determine whether he’s in a position to make a push to return next season.”
Would Jayson Tatum rush back?
Throughout the course of his career, Tatum has made it painfully obvious that he doesn’t like to sit out games. Even when he sprained his ankle toward the end of this past season, he only sat out for one game before returning.
Tatum is not a fan of load management, and if there is any player who could look to return as soon as possible from an injury (even one of this magnitude), it’s him.
However, it’s simply not worth the risk. Though Tatum is much younger than most players, athletes, or people who tear their Achilles, the most important thing in this scenario is ensuring his long-term health.
Returning quickly to help the Celtics push for a title is a noble idea, but if there is any chance that he could reinjure his Achilles, it’s not worth it. Not even a little bit.
Tatum should just sit out all of next season.