For much of this season, it wasn’t clear whether Jayson Tatum would be able to play for the Boston Celtics at all. When he was approved to return, it still wasn’t clear how often or how many minutes he would play.

As it turns out, Tatum is playing a lot of minutes.

Tatum started out on a minutes restriction, averaging 27 minutes per game over his first three games back. He’s logged at least 30 minutes in every game he’s played since then, however, peaking at 37 in Wednesday’s road win over the Miami Heat.

Tatum’s averaging a healthy 31.5 minutes per game this season, including 33 minutes over his last nine and 35 minutes over his last four. That’s right around his career average of 34.4.

While many fans and analysts are focusing on Tatum’s other stats like shots and rebounds, his consistently heavy playing time shouldn’t be overlooked.

FanDuel’s “Run It Back” crew was in awe of Tatum’s workload during Thursday’s episode.

 

“How is Jayson Tatum 32 MPG?” – @ChandlerParsons

“What did he find in his rehab?” – @TeamLou23

“Peptides.” – @MichelleDBeadle

Chandler says JT looks as healthy as he’s ever been💪 pic.twitter.com/QxOT2Jejvp

— Run It Back (@RunItBackFDTV) April 2, 2026

 

“I don’t know how he’s doing it. He looks unreal, and he’s coming off probably the worst injury an NBA player could have,” Chandler Parsons said. “I think he’s gonna continue to get better and better… This dude’s playing 32 minutes a game. He looks strong, he looks healthy as he’s ever been.”

Tatum’s only missed two games for rest reasons since making his season debut in early March. He’s also logged heavier minutes than expected and is progressing towards a full workload.

Until last year, Tatum had always been one of the NBA’s most durable players. Now, he’s proving it again and showing why one of the best abilities a player can have is availability.

More NBA: Former NBA Star Marvels At Jayson Tatum’s ‘Incredible’ Comeback