Thirty-nine weeks removed from rupturing his right Achilles tendon during the Celtics’ Eastern Conference semifinal loss to the Knicks last May, Jayson Tatum continues to clear checkpoints in his recovery.
His latest milestone came Monday, when he was assigned to participate in portions of the Maine Celtics’ practice at the Auerbach Center. Hugo Gonzalez and Amari Williams were also assigned to the G League for the session.
Naturally, the move generated excitement among fans. Practicing with the G League squad at the Auerbach Center was one of the final steps in Kristaps Porzingis’ recovery from leg surgery last season. Of course, Tatum’s injury and circumstances are notably different.
However, despite taking part in the practice, Tatum said a return is not necessarily imminent. Speaking with the media for the first time since media day on Tuesday, he cautioned against drawing conclusions from his participation.
“I’m feeling good,” Tatum said. “It was good to be a part of practice yesterday with the Maine G League guys. [Tuesday] is 39 weeks, so it’s been a long journey. And it’s just like the progression of rehab. It was the next step. Doesn’t mean that I’m coming back or I’m not. It’s just following the plan. So it’s just another step.”
When asked if he could put a percentage on the likelihood of returning this season, Tatum declined to speculate.
“I don’t know,” he said. “I don’t know the percentage. I just know I feel a little bit better every day. I just try to focus on that.”
With the Celtics sitting third in the Eastern Conference and ranking in the top 10 in offensive rating (second, 120.0), defensive rating (10th, 112.7), and net rating (third, 7.3), Tatum said on The Pivot Podcast that he has considered whether returning could affect the team’s chemistry. He added that those thoughts are a natural part of a lengthy recovery process that has now stretched close to nine months.
“Over 39 weeks, you have a lot of time on your hands. You think about a lot of things. Just hyper aware of what’s going on. I think it would just stem from that. Obviously, I know what I bring to the table and bring to the team. But I’m also aware that these guys have been playing extremely well. And not to say that I would come and mess it up or anything like that. It was just kind of being vulnerable, I guess, for a moment and talking from that perspective.”
That mental aspect, and the thoughts that come with it, has been one of the more challenging parts of a recovery.
“Mentally, it’s been tough. It’s been exhausting. I can’t stress it enough. It’s been 39 weeks. It’s been a lot of different phases throughout this process. But the organization has been there to support me, friends, family, the whole nine. I’ve had a lot of support throughout this.”
Celtics president of basketball operations Brad Stevens emphasized the obvious last week, stating that “any team with Jayson Tatum is going to be better.” As for how he might fit in with the current roster, Tatum said that even though he hasn’t played alongside this group, he’s confident the level of talent and basketball IQ on the floor would allow things to come together naturally.
“It might look different. I haven’t played with these guys, this group. But there are a lot of high-IQ guys out there. I like to consider myself one of those types of playersm” Tatum said. “So if that did present itself, if I did come back, we’re professionals, we’ll figure it out.”
For now, practicing with the G League team is a significant step in his recovery as he continues to ramp up basketball activities, having recently been cleared for five-on-five work.
“He’s continuing to just chip away at the progression of his rehab, and it was great to see him take another step,” Joe Mazzulla said. “There’s been a lot of steps and milestones along the way, starting from just walking, and it was great to see him get to the next one.”
Still, the goal remains the same: get fully healthy, both physically and mentally.
“Yeah, I mean, I’m still trying to figure it out,” Tatum said. “Still just going through the progressions of rehab. Not saying that I’m coming back or I’m not. It’s all about being 100% healthy and going through the plan of this protocol.”