Aggressive Patience: Jayson Tatum on his road back to the Celtics

Even when dealing with the same injury, everyone's recovery and how they handle their journey back is different. However, from Miami Heat guard Dru Smith, who returned from his Achilles tear in nine months, to James Wiseman, who came back a year later, what they preach is patience.

"That's the only thing you got is patience, but being able to endure mentally, up here, is what makes it different," shared Wiseman before his Indiana Pacers lost 103-95 to the Boston Celtics. "So, just being able to know that you got it is what's important, and not trying to overdo it, but kind of like take your time with the process."

It's a sentiment Tatum co-signed as he deals with the longest absence away from basketball in his life.

"It's been very valuable," said Tatum during a media availability before the Celtics practiced at Saint Monica Prep a day before facing the Los Angeles Lakers. "It's a long journey. You can't rush it. Got to take your time, move at your own pace, not really compare yourself to other guys, everybody is different, and run your own race."

The soon-to-be 28-year-old star is relentlessly attacking his rehab. Whether it happens or not, he's working like an individual who is pushing to return this season. If NBC flexing Boston's matchup against the Philadelphia 76ers at TD Garden on Mar. 1 into a prime-time national TV window is a clue, then his first game back may not be far away.

Regardless of when the next time he's in uniform is, Tatum is just proud that he's even made returning this season a realistic possibility.

"I think it's just important that I've worked this hard to just kind of get myself in a position where it could be a conversation," the six-time All-Star voiced on Saturday.

As the five-time All-NBA selection inches his way back to Boston's lineup, Joe Mazzulla has been there for Tatum throughout his journey. The support the latter has received from the organization, physically and mentally, is something he has previously expressed his gratitude for.

Being there to help an individual dealing with an adversity unlike any other he has before in his life is a subject his head coach addressed Saturday at Saint Monica Prep.

"When you're going through something like this, that's just as important, right? And it goes back to, you just trust the team that we have," expressed Mazzulla. "There's a lot of great people that he has around him. There's a lot of great people that we have, you know, in our organization to be able to do that, whether it's our sports science department, our sports psych department, we just have great people. So it's just trusting all the people to make sure that you’re putting him and really all of our players in the best possible position, physically, mentally, emotionally, and whatnot. So, a lot of that just comes from the people that we have in our organization."

Jayson Tatum's most recent steps in recovery

Weeks after participating in portions of a practice at the Auerbach Center with the Maine Celtics, the St. Louis, Missouri, native took part in a workout at the University of San Francisco before Boston's 121-110 win over the Golden State Warriors. Jordan Walsh and Luka Garza were among his teammates to join him for that session.

"I had an optional workout with a couple of them the other day in San Francisco," said Tatum, who also stated that he has not practiced with the team yet. However, it's notable that there was some five-on-five work involved.

"Yeah, there was a little five-on-five," acknowledged Tatum. "It's tough to, like, go into details of every single thing I do every day. But I will say, it's just, getting acclimated more, during limited things with some of the guys out there, but it's all a part of the rehab of just going with the plan."

His recovery also requires him to take this process day-by-day. Even if he announced a return date, a bout of uncertainty or, God forbid, a setback, could render that declaration meaningless. It's also healthiest for him to maintain that one-day-at-a-time approach.

"I feel like I'm beating a dead horse; I'm just taking it one day at a time," expressed Tatum. "It was something that was very serious, the injury that I had. It's a long journey. For me, it's just a lot easier to take it one day at a time."

Tatum, who said he'll know when he feels 100 percent, also wanted it made clear that when it comes to his return, "I do not have a date, and like I said, I just take it one day at a time. I feel better than I did yesterday, and that's what's important."

Continuing to string together positive days and move in that direction is the key to seeing him back in uniform in short order. Of course, whether that happens is also dependent on how he feels mentally and from a comfort standpoint about returning now. If he's in a good place from that perspective, then it's likely not long, with Mar. 1 against the 76ers as the leader in the clubhouse, before he returns to help with a title push that many on the outside did not anticipate.