(UPDATE: Tatum returned to action on Friday vs. the Mavericks)
Boston Celtics star Jayson Tatum is nearing a return after rupturing his Achilles in May, though the team has not announced an official timetable.
According to Shams Charania, Tatum progressed to full 5-on-5 scrimmages with the Celtics last week, marking a significant step in his recovery. Bill Simmons has suggested Tatum could potentially return as soon as Friday, but Boston has yet to confirm any target date.
The Celtics currently sit second in the Eastern Conference standings, reducing any urgency to rush their franchise cornerstone back to full minutes before the postseason.
Pro Football Doc cautioned that even if Tatum returns in the coming days, expectations should be tempered early on.
“Do I think he’s going to be the same when he returns later this week as he was before he got injured? No,” he said. “This is going to be a ramp-up so that he can perhaps be more of a central figure come the playoffs. This is the ramp-up phase. Do not expect Tatum to play 30 minutes when he first returns. It’s part of the continuing rehab process.”
He added that while Tatum’s athleticism may allow him to look sharp initially, recovery from an Achilles rupture is gradual.
“Recovery isn’t a light switch,” he said. “It’s not like at nine months and 29 days he can’t go, and then at 10 months, suddenly he’s 100 percent. It’s a gradual build.”
The focus, according to Pro Football Doc, is not immediate full production but preparing Tatum for meaningful postseason minutes, rebuilding conditioning, and testing his Achilles within Boston’s system ahead of the playoffs.
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