Jayson Tatum hasn’t said much publicly since his ruptured Achilles’ tendon ended his season in the playoffs against the Knicks. But he’s given occasional rehab updates over the past several weeks, showing he’s been in the gym or pool working out.
There has been some notable progression, including Tatum being out of the walking boot. Some scouts have been impressed by his rehab thus far, though it’s still so early only a few months removed from the injury. In a quick interview by the NBA on social media, Tatum gave an honest update when it comes to his recovery.
“Rehab is tedious, man,” Tatum said. “It’s six days a week. I’m starting to get a little bit better. I’m out of the boot now. Better days ahead, but just trying to take it one day at a time. You gotta be resilient.
“The first six weeks of this was probably the toughest six weeks of any point in my life. Just have to accept it and realize it happened. And now I have to do everything in my power to get back to who I was and get back to playing.”
It’s unclear when Tatum will be back on the court playing for the Celtics again. The organization hasn’t put a concrete timeline for his return. Considering the lengthy rehab process, plus the C’s looking at a retooling season, it’s unlikely the team will rush him back since he still has a lot of basketball left in his career.
Regardless, when Tatum does come back, it’ll be to a new-look Celtics squad. Boston had to shed payroll this summer due to the basketball penalties associated with the salary cap. No longer are guys like Kristaps Porzingis, Jrue Holiday, Luke Kornet and others on the roster as the C’s will likely take a step back next season.
Part of that, too, is Tatum’s injury. It’s difficult for any team to contend while a first-team All-NBA talent is coming back from a major injury. But if there is a certainty, it’s that Tatum will tackle rehab as hard as possible, which is what he’s done in the weeks ever since going down.
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