Jayson Tatum‘s Achilles tendon injury was the catalyst for the Boston Celtics‘ cost-cutting measures this summer. Without the All-NBA forward in the rotation, it made no sense to keep the roster together that was projected to cost almost $500 million in payroll.
Brad Stevens made multiple moves to slash the Celtics’ cap sheet. In the process, he embarked on a roster retooling that saw multiple young and unproven talents sign, or land with, the Celtics. Despite those moves, the fanbase has still been hopeful that Tatum will return before the end of the season.
On Thursday, Oct. 9, Tatum gave the clearest indication yet that he’s ahead of schedule. The St. Louis native posted a video of himself in Boston’s practice facility, where he went from a standstill into a full vertical dunk, including some hangtime on the rim.
Tatum is only five months removed from his Achilles injury. He’s miles ahead of where everyone expected him to be in his recovery. With each passing week, it feels like Celtics fans are getting another update with new insights into the giant strides Tatum is making toward getting back on the court.
Celtics Are Cautiously Optimistic Over Tatum Return
According to ESPN’s Shams Charania, who was speaking with Pat McAfee, the Celtics remain optimistic that Tatum will return to the rotation at some point in the upcoming season.
“Jayson Tatum, the Celtics have not ruled him out. I think the Celtics are cautiously optimistic. Clearly, Jayson Tatum has a goal in mind that he wants to achieve. Now, whether he can get there by the time we’re in February, March, April, we’ll see. And we’ll see how that team is going to be. There are so many doctors’ clearances that come into play here, Pat, as you get closer to the end.”
Tatum is clearly putting in the work to be ready for a return to action during the second half of the season. However, when it comes to Achilles injuries, you can’t rush the rehabilitation stage.
Jayson Tatum Is Already Doing Box Jumps
When speaking with Chris Forsberg of NBC Sports Boston, Xavier Tillman Sr. revealed that Tatum is already doing box jumps behind the scenes, as part of his recovery process. Therefore, his Achilles must be capable of withstanding the impact of those landings.
“I mean, I’m seeing this guy do like box jumps and stuff like that, and I’m like, huh? What?” Tillman said.
Still, until Tatum is able to move laterally at pace and change directions while shifting his weight, he will be unable to begin working out in full basketball activities. Those specific movements may be among the last he attempts, as the weight distribution is likely a concern.
Nevertheless, there’s every reason for Celtics fans to approach the upcoming season with optimism. Not because they’re a contending team. But because their star player could bounce back quicker than expected, and if that is the case, the retooling phase will likely be put into warp speed ahead of the 26-27 campaign.
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