Is Jayson Tatum’s return date already set in stone? 

It sure seems like there may be a growing number of people that are aware when Tatum intends to step back on the parquet this season. 

After NBC released a preview of an upcoming five-part documentary titled “The Quiet Work” revealing the Celtics’ star’s recovery journey from his torn right achilles, it appears Tatum is ramping up for a return and NBC wants to make it an event. 

Combine the new documentary with the fact that NBC has already flexed Boston’s March 1 game against Philadelphia into its primetime Sunday Night Basketball slot, and it’s certainly appearing that once the calendar flips, Boston could be adding Tatum back to its lineup. 

Now there are some solid rebuttals to the overwhelming belief that Tatum’s return is already set. 

One of those being the fact that the Celtics and Sixers may simply just be a more attractive option for the primetime slot than the previously scheduled Oklahoma City Thunder and Dallas Mavericks matchup. Dallas has lost nine in a row, and despite having Cooper Flagg, is probably not the same national draw that Boston and Philadelphia would be. 

The second is that the documentary is set to be five parts, released every Sunday between the early and late Sunday Night Basketball window. The final “episode” is set to release on March 22, the same day that Boston takes on Minnesota for a previously scheduled primetime Sunday night game. 

So, it certainly appears that Tatum and NBC are working in conjunction with each other in a media rollout to build up hype and attention in whatever game he plans to comeback for. This narrows down the two dates to March 1 and March 22. 

Tatum also recently reached another recovery milestone, crossing the 40-week mark since his surgery last May. 

The recent noise surrounding Tatum is definitely more of a surprise after the star’s comments in the last couple of weeks bringing his return this season into doubt. 

“That’s something I contemplate every day, more so about the team,” Tatum said on The Pivot Podcast. “If or when I do come back this season, they would have played 50-some odd games without me. So they have an identity this year or things that they’ve felt that have clicked for them, and it’s been successful. You know, third, second team in the East up to this point. So there’s a thought in my head is, ‘How does that work? How does that look with me integrating myself off an injury and 50-60 games into a season?’ Obviously could be some challenges. It is a thought like, ‘Damn, do I come back? Or should I wait?’ It’s something that I honestly, recently, in the last like two weeks or so, kind of just kind of contemplate every single day.”

Tatum’s tune certainly seems different now after the teaser released last Sunday made it seem like he was a WWE superstar in a promo declaring for the Royal Rumble. 

Or was there never really too much doubt in his return, but Tatum knew that this documentary was in the works and he and NBC wanted to generate the most attention possible? 

In all probability, Tatum and his people know he’s coming back in March, which really has been the thinking since the season began, and they decided to work in tandem with NBC to show his recovery process. 

Tatum has been very clear that he’ll only return in a home game, and he also probably wants some fanfare attached to it. What’s more sexy, a primetime, standalone game against Philadelphia or buried on a Wednesday night when the Hornets come to town? 

Tatum’s journey back has had its fair share of questions, but that answer is pretty clear.