Evan Turner is one of a handful of Celtics alumni who have both played for the team and coached for it. And while he was not part of the team as a player while star Celtics forward Jayson Tatum was (having left the team in free agency the season before the St. Louis native was drafted), the Ohio State alum did coach him in he 2020-21 season.
Turner recently spoke about what he has been seeing in the Duke alum’s return from the Achilles tendon injury he suffered vs. the New York Knicks in the 2025 NBA Playoffs, and like many of us, has been happy with how things are going so far. “I thought he’s been unbelievable (…)” said Turner. “I think one thing that occurred even from the first couple of games, I know he’s been cautious on like pushing off on that leg, but some of his movement looked like that old form.”
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“I remember him coming off with the (Dallas) Mavericks in and out and he missed the dunk, but it was like, ‘Hey, your reaction time,’ how you got to the rim and your handle, your awareness is still pretty much there,” he added.
Mar 1, 2022; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Former NBA player and former assistant coach for the Boston Celtics Evan Turner greets forward Jayson Tatum (0) during a break in the action against the Atlanta Hawks in the second half at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports
“The corner 3 that he hit, shot fake, sidestep – I think some of that stuff looked like … days of old, but of course, when you look at his shooting numbers, he’s missed a few chippies over the past few games that has affected his numbers,” said Turner.
“But I thought he looked really good. I thought he could still be used in a high-impact way, still with him trying to figure his ways out from how I’ve seen him score these past three games. He looks good to me, he’s hitting shots. But, of course, it’s going to take time to get back in it.”
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This article originally appeared on Celtics Wire: Evan Turner thinks new Jayson Tatum looks a lot like old Tatum on Celtics return