The Boston Celtics continue to play without their best player this season. Jayson Tatum tore his Achilles tendon in the second round of the playoffs against the Knicks, casting doubt on his ability to return for this season. Tatum has taken that challenge and accepted it.
Tatum has been vocal that it’s his goal to return this season. He is trying to play at some point this season, and he is working hard to make that a reality. Tatum has posted several updates on his progress in his recovery over the last few weeks. Recently, he talked about that still being the goal in an interview with Noa Dalzell of Celtics on CLNS.
“I’ve been working my butt off for the last 24 weeks now, just trying to get healthy and trying to get 100% and it’s just something that motivates me.”
Celtics Forward Jayson Tatum’s Rehab Progress Posted on Social Media
As he continues to work in order to make that a reality, more video emerged of Tatum’s progress. He was seen doing agility drills during practice.
Tatum is the best player that the Celtics have on the roster. They have struggled so far this season without him, as Boston sits 12th in the Eastern Conference standings. Without Tatum, the Celtics have struggled mightily on the offensive end of the court.
The Boston Celtics score the fourth-least amount of points in the NBA. Lack of points from the frontcourt has been a massive issue, of which Tatum was the leader. Without his production, the Celtics haven’t been able to score as efficiently as they have in the last few years.
Boston will be incredibly careful with Tatum’s rehab. They will not rush his return, especially if the Celtics are not in playoff contention when March rolls around. Tatum would love to return before then, but he’s going to face resistance from rushing back.
The Celtics Will Not Rush Jayson Tatum Back
Over the summer, President of Basketball Operations Brad Stevens made it clear that they will not put Tatum back on the court until he’s 100 percent ready to go.
“We won’t put a projected timeline on him for a long, long time. … It’s baby steps right now. He’s actually progressed great, but I don’t know what that means in regard to projected timelines.”
Tatum continues to force the Celtics to think about projected timelines with how quickly he is progressing. Once the trade deadline gets closer, the Celtics will have to decide how to proceed for the rest of the season. If they aren’t in playoff contention, there’s no reason to play Tatum.
Boston will continue to lean on Jaylen Brown as their top option. He has been very good at scoring the ball up to this point in the season, even if his playmaking hasn’t taken a big step. Joe Mazzulla refuses to make excuses for the team, and wants his team to take advantage of the strengths they do have.
Tatum will continue to rehab as hard as possible until he’s back on the court.
Like Heavy Sports’s content? Be sure to follow us.
This article was originally published on Heavy Sports
The post Boston Celtics Forward Jayson Tatum Posts Injury Rehab Update appeared first on Heavy Sports.