Jayson Tatum was back on the floor practicing with some of his Celtics teammates this week at the Auerbach Center and the early reviews are promising.
Two-way forward Ron Harper Jr. was one of the players who practiced with Tatum at the Auerbach Center on Monday as the entire G-League Maine Celtics joined Tatum to scrimmage. Harper Jr. was the first player who took part in the practice to give his assessment of the Celtics forward in an interview with Sirius XM NBA during All-Star weekend. Harper Jr. is in Los Angeles and already took part in the Rising Stars game Friday night.
“He looked like Jayson Tatum, I’ll say that much,” Harper Jr. said. “We’re really excited for the potential of him coming back. We don’t know for sure if or not he’s going to come back, we’re just really excited to see him progress during his rehab.”
Tatum spoke positively about getting back on the floor earlier this week but still remains non-committal about a return for game action this year as he continues his recovery from a torn Achilles.
“It was good to be a part of practice yesterday with the Maine G League guys,” Tatum said. “(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.”
The Celtics are 35-19 and are entering the All-Star Break with the No. 2 seed in the Eastern Conference. Tatum has been a constant presence around the team throughout his recovery after undergoing surgery last May after suffering the injury during the Eastern Conference Semifinals.
“These are like my brothers,” Tatum said. “I know I’m injured and not playing, but I’d like to think I’m still very much part of the team. When you’re out and injured you can feel isolated because you’re not playing, so just being around, encouraging them, and being around as much as possible is good for me and my spirits. Just being around as much as I can.”
The Celtics will return to action after the All-Star Break on Thursday night when they kick off a four-game road trip against the Warriors.