The excitement among Boston Celtics fans surrounding Jayson Tatum’s potential return to the court is growing louder by the day.
The Celtics announced Monday that Tatum was being assigned to the team’s G League affiliate, the Maine Celtics, to participate in portions of the squad’s practice. The move was the latest step in Tatum’s road to getting back on the court for Boston.
The early returns from Tatum’s brief G League stint were nothing but positive. According to ESPN’s Shams Charania, Tatum “participated fully” in five-on-five scrimmages featuring some of his Celtics teammates, two-way players, and G League veterans. Per Charania, Tatum “looked great” in those runs.
Tatum still has a few boxes to check before being fully cleared for a return, with the final decision reportedly being made by “about a dozen people” involved in his recovery process. Tatum himself downplayed the significance of the G League rehab stint, calling it “just another step.”
Last month, Tatum admitted that he was still unsure about whether or not he should return this season, partly at the risk of disrupting the chemistry the current Celtics squad has developed without him. His teammates, however, have been vocal about the team wanting him back without any reservations.
With the latest progress in Tatum’s recovery, the Celtics star looks healthy enough for a return sooner rather than later. But nothing is final until he actually sets foot on the hardwood.