Jayson Tatum is expected to miss most, if not all, of the upcoming NBA season. The Boston Celtics‘ All-NBA forward suffered a torn Achilles tendon when facing the New York Knicks in the second round of the Eastern Conference playoffs.
Former NBA champion Brian Scalabrine recently explained why bringing Tatum back mid-season would be a risky move by the franchise. His comments came when speaking to Celtics play-by-play announcer Drew Carter during a recent episode of the “Celtics Talk” podcast.
“There’s a reason (the NBA season) is 82 games,” Scalabrine said. “Just watch a playoff game and watch a preseason game: There’s so many levels in between. Getting thrown back into the middle of a race where you’re trying to get out of the play-in (tournament) and you’re playing these meaningful, high-level games, that is not ideal — not (just) for your Achilles, but for your body. There needs to be some build-up.”
Tatum would likely be better served sitting out the entirety of the 2025-26 season. He could then ramp back up next summer and have a full regular season to get back to his best. Bringing him back midway through the upcoming campaign would provide little reward.
Celtics’ Tatum is Ahead of Schedule
According to an anonymous NBA scout who spoke with Steve Bulpett of Heavy on Sports, Tatum is moving around without a protective boot. The scout had attended Chris Paul’s CP3 Elite Camp in Las Vegas, where Tatum was also present.
“He was moving really well,” said the scout in a phone conversation with Heavy Sports later that day. “There might have been a slight limp or something, but the surprising thing to me is that he didn’t have a boot for any of it.”
The scout continued.
“I’m no doctor, but I’ve seen guys coming back from Achilles’ tears, and he looked way ahead. I was kind of shocked to see how well he was moving. I have no idea for what any of this means for when he can come back. I’m sure him and the Celtics’ medical people have their program set up, and they’ll make sure that he’s where he needs to be when he does get back. But he looks great right now. Of course, he didn’t do any running or even jogging, but he was in great shape and he had no trouble doing his part at the camp.”
Tatum Spends Six Days a Week In The Gym
In a recent post to his Instagram story, Tatum explained his current rehab process. He noted how he’s in the gym six days per week with his friend and trainer Nick Sang.
“Rehab station, lift after that,” Tatum said. “Six days a week, bro. I ain’t in here six days a week for no reason.”
Tatum will undoubtedly want to be back on the court as soon as possible. However, the Celtics aren’t projected to be a contending team in the upcoming season. As such, the front office and coaching staff would be better served by showing some patience.
Planning ahead to the 2026-27 season makes far more sense, especially in terms of getting the best out of the St. Louis native.
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This article was originally published on Heavy Sports
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