By now, we’ve heard a lot of different takes, opinions, and reports about Jayson Tatum and his recovery from a torn achilles. On Saturday afternoon, we got to hear from his superstar teammate, as Jaylen Brown took to the podium for All-Star weekend media day.
Of course, JB was quickly asked about Tatum, and his words should make Celtics fans even more excited about the process. Brown talked about checking all the boxes and then making the right decision, but didn’t hold back, saying, “In terms of what I've seen, he looks pretty damn good.”
Brown was also asked about a potential return for JT and making it work, and spoke with confidence about how the duo has been dealing with this ever since they were drafted, telling the media, “In terms of winning, me and him both have done that at a high level for a very long time. So I'm looking forward to that.”
Celtics tight-lipped but saying all the right things
Of course, like everyone else within the Celtics’ organization, Jaylen didn’t elaborate further or give away any details. We continue to get very black and white updates, with all the comments being positive, but non-committal.
At this point, we should know that actions speak louder than words when it comes to this team. Nothing ever seems to leak out from within the building. We never hear about trade rumors before they happen. We have no idea who they’ll pursue in free agency. Heck, the Ime Udoka story never even came out.
So why would this be any different? The Celtics aren’t going to speculate or give away any more information than they are required to. Once Tatum is ready to return, he will likely just be upgraded to doubtful, questionable, or probable on the injury report, and that’s how the return will be announced.
There was never going to be some big rollout, or grand gesture, or announcement. Instead, it has just been constant hard work, steady progress, and continual updates via press releases. The fact remains, it’s early February, and JT is already practicing 5-on-5 against NBA competition.
Why would the Celtics bring the G League team to the Auerbach Center to play against Tatum if the intention wasn’t to bring him back soon? I certainly believe there are still boxes to check, and he needs to be 100% ready physically AND mentally, but once those hurdles are cleared, there’s no reason to think he won’t be back, and that it could be very, very soon.