The Boston Celtics are on the verge of welcoming Jayson Tatum back to the lineup. They list the six-time All-Star as questionable to make his season debut on Friday night. Even if that doesn't happen, that designation signals his return is imminent.
It may take until Mar. 14 when Boston hosts the Washington Wizards. However, he will most likely step out onto the TD Garden parquet in uniform on Friday against the Dallas Mavericks.
Whenever it happens, with the expectation that his return is only a day away, here's what to know about it, courtesy of insight from a leader in Achilles repairs and NBA players who came back this season from the same injury.
What to know about Jayson Tatum's return from a medical standpoint
On the heels of the Celtics' star's injury at Madison Square Garden, Dr. Kevin Stone, a leading expert in Achilles tendon repairs, emphasized, "There's nothing about an Achilles rupture that should prevent him from coming back better than he was before."
He cited advancements in treating the injury that allow people, athletes or not, to make a full recovery faster than ever. It also hinges on the individual's ability to utilize the rehab process to learn more about their body and fortify parts that may not have received as much attention before.
Fortunately, Tatum has done so.
"I've had 29 weeks to, like, really work on my body. This [is] the strongest I've ever been, the best the rest of my body has ever felt," said Tatum during a December appearance on The Morris Code, a podcast hosted by former NBA players Marcus and Markieff Morris.
As for what his workload may look like upon returning, this author does not expect him to come off the bench. That would put him into a role he has never had. Secondly, it would entail getting warmed up and then allowing his body to get cold before checking into the game. Even with the stationary bike and other methods to get loose again after sitting, that does not seem like it's in his best interest.
Furthermore, Tatum has repeatedly reiterated that he doesn't intend to come back at a level below his standard. As a four-time All-NBA First Team selection, that is far above returning in the second unit.
Regarding his minutes, Dr. Stone shared his perspective on whether the just-turned 28-year-old can handle logging 20 minutes per contest or play even more than that.
"Yes. It's not a matter of the workload; it's a matter of the strength of the tendon. So, if the tendon's healed well, there's no reason why you can't increase the volume," conveyed Dr. Stone.
He later noted, "In general, if the tendon's well healed on fitness testing and MRI, there's no reason why he can't return fully."
James Wiseman and Dru Smith's road back
James Wiseman tore his Achilles tendon on opening night of the 2024-25 campaign. A year later, almost to the date, he played nearly 20 minutes in his first game back.
Getting over the fear factor and trusting one's body to support them as they make explosive movements that were once second-nature is often viewed as the final hurdle to clear. Here's what the former second-overall pick in the 2020 NBA Draft shared about how that went for him upon returning.
"At first it was tough, like, just getting back used to the comfortability of playing and everything, but over time it started to come back," voiced Wiseman before the Celtics' 103-95 win over the Indiana Pacers.
It captures the need to remain patient with Tatum, even after he makes his season debut. He'll need to continue ramping up and has one more hurdle to clear -- even if he does so quickly.
When speaking with him during a media availability in early February, the St. Louis, Missouri, native said of his trust in his Achilles, "I always say I always feel a little bit better today than I did yesterday. So, whether it's physical, conditioning, trusting it, and every day I get a little bit better."
While everyone's recovery, physically and mentally, is different, for Wiseman, that "took a while. Just going through a lot of ups and downs. It took a while, but just sticking to it and having that endurance mentally and spiritually as well is what matters."
As Tatum's former teammate, Grant Williams, now with the Charlotte Hornets, noted before Wednesday's 118-89 win in Boston, it helps that the star forward has a strong support group surrounding him on his journey back to the hardwood.
For Dru Smith, who completed that journey in nine months after tearing his Achilles tendon, the key to his ability to return so quickly was remaining patient while attacking his rehab.
"I was able to get back fast, but it was really, probably because of the patience on the front end," shared Smith before the Celtics' 129-116 win over the Miami Heat. "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."
Tatum's ability to find that balance, between the patience needed on a journey that has lasted nearly 10 months and the aggressive nature with which he has attacked his rehab, has him on the verge of rejoining the Celtics' lineup to help with this year's title push.