If the Boston Celtics are trying to play coy about Jayson Tatum’s possible return this season, they’re doing a terrible job of hiding it.
Tatum has missed every Celtics game so far this season as he recovers from an Achilles tendon tear suffered during the second round of last year’s postseason. It’s worth noting that the Celtics, led by MVP-caliber play from Tatum’s running mate, Jaylen Brown, admirably still almost met Phil Jackson’s 40-before-20 criteria without him.
Advertisement
It’s the Celtics’ stellar play, in what was supposed to be a lost year, that seems to be influencing a very possible Tatum return. Per ESPN’s Shams Charania, Tatum has been participating in full 5-on-5 scrimmages during Celtics practices of late, which suggests he’s well past the worst part of his recovery process and is just trying to get into game shape now. It also means Tatum seems likely to come back soon because participating in any sort of 5-on-5 practice, given the nature of his serious injury, feels like a major escalation toward returning to the court.
With Tatum in the fold, provided he plays as expected, the Celtics very well could win their second title in three seasons. He and the rest of the Boston organization appear to be operating with that exact mindset.
When might Jayson Tatum return to the Celtics?
As for when exactly Tatum might come back to the Celtics, picking a home date on the near horizon feels like the best bet. The Celtics do play at home against the ascending Charlotte Hornets this Thursday night. A Friday home matchup against the lowly Dallas Mavericks would also make a lot of sense.
Mark your calendars. We might see one of the NBA’s top players balling again very soon.
This article originally appeared on For The Win: Jayson Tatum: Here’s when Celtics star will probably play