Dru Smith's recovery from a torn Achilles could serve as a blueprint for Jayson Tatum as he navigates his own rehab from the same injury. The Miami Heat guard returned in nine months. A similar timeline would slot the latter back into the Boston Celtics' lineup in February.
Smith suffered his tear on Dec. 23, 2024. Adding to the adversity of his journey back to the court was that it occurred just 14 games into his return from a torn ACL. He sustained the latter in November of 2023.
For a former undrafted free agent, those hurdles could have derailed his career or at least ended his time in the Association before he ever got much of an experience of what it's like to play basketball at the highest level. However, Smith didn't fold.
In a pleasant surprise to the Heat, when the start of training camp arrived on Sep. 30, he was ready to go.
Dru Smith shares the key to his recovery from an Achilles tear
The 27-year-old has not missed a game this season. Smith has played in all 29 tilts for Miami. That surpasses the most he has ever appeared in. He is doing so while averaging 17.3 minutes, the second-highest of his career.
The former University of Missouri standout is generating 6.3 points per contest. That would be a tick above the most he has averaged in a single season. His 2.9 assists would blow past the most he has distributed in one campaign. His 2.5 rebounds are a tick below the personal best he set in 2024-25. And the 1.5 steals he is swiping would match his most in a season.
While at his locker, before a 129-116 loss to the Celtics at TD Garden, Smith wasn't surprised to see reporters migrate to him to discuss his recovery.
What he emphasized was the importance of listening to one's body. The Evansville, Indiana, native also preached the importance of remaining patient.
"Just putting in the time every day with the rehab, and then also not taking it too fast," said Smith, per CLNS Media. "I was able to get back fast, but it was really, probably because of the patience on the front end. Like, we took everything really slowly. We walked slowly, ran slowly. We were probably behind on a lot of those early milestones just to make sure that everything was safe, and then we can kind of ramp it up from there."
As he patiently worked through his rehab process, one of the challenges he had to deal with was the mundane nature of it.
"It’s slow. It's tough. It's boring some days, but you know, it's just a process. You've got to kind of take it day by day, and then just kind of always see how your body is responding," shared Smith. "As you go through the testing and all the different things like that, it just takes time. And that's what sucks about it. There's no way around it. Like, it's just a lot of volume calf work and boring stuff that you feel like you're not really getting much done, but like, that's just what you have to do."
Brad Stevens addresses Tatum potentially returning this season
During a media availability at the Auerbach Center earlier this month, the Celtics' president of basketball operations shed light on what the organization needs to see from the six-time All-Star before he can return to the lineup.
"The reality is he's not going to be back until he's 110 percent healthy, and he feels good about it, and that's a big part of it, right?" conveyed Stevens. "Obviously, he's itching to play. Obviously, he hates watching, but he's also -- I don't want to speak for him, but [he's] very cognizant of the need to meet every threshold and why there are those things that are put in place. We've had a lot of great talks about it."
He also offered perhaps a needed reminder that medical clearance is only one of several factors required before Tatum gets the green light to rejoin the team.
"There's strength thresholds he has to meet. And then after that, several weeks of progressions, right?" Said Stevens. "From the standpoints of scripted against small groups, scripted against bigger groups, scripted in five-on-five, unscripted, random, all the way up through those.
"But it's a long progression, and it's almost like once you hit the strength, then you do your thresholds of a progression of play, and then you're also reconditioning to play real minutes. You know, whatever that looks like. He's obviously made great strides right now. We're still focused on the full strength game."
Checking those boxes, not getting medically cleared, could be what stands in Tatum's way if he doesn't return this season. However, as he progresses, the relentless nature that he's attacking his rehab with is why one shouldn't rule out that happening.
Boston has surged into third in the East without him. If the Celtics insert a four-time All-NBA First Team selection, even if he's not at the peak of his powers, that's as significant an addition as any team will make during the current campaign.
With the Eastern Conference wide open this year, if Tatum returns, it could swing what happens in the postseason, propelling Boston to an NBA Finals appearance that seemed implausible before the year began.