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yesterday

Celtics ‘Very Happy’ With Jayson Tatum’s Achilles Rehab as Team Maintains No Timetable

Team officials have declined to set a return date, emphasizing long-term recovery.

Jayson Tatum tore his Achilles in the Celtics' second-round playoff loss to the Knicks.
Celtics forward Jayson Tatum warms up before a game at TD Garden.
Image
May 19, 2023; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Boston Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla and forward Jayson Tatum (0) talk during the first half against the Miami Heat in game two of the Eastern Conference Finals for the 2023 NBA playoffs at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-Imagn Images

Overview

  • Radio hosts Marc Bertrand and Scott Zolak said after a dinner with coach Joe Mazzulla that Boston is pleased with Tatum’s focus and intensity in rehab.
  • Tatum has stayed in Boston and worked at the Celtics’ facility nearly every weekday for months, taking only brief weekend trips.
  • Recovery markers include surgery hours after the May 12 injury, pool workouts by early July, and being out of a walking boot in August, with teammate Jordan Walsh noting he is moving better.
  • Mazzulla would not commit to any in-season return, and while Tatum’s father has floated an eight-to-nine-month timeline, that remains an optimistic, unofficial estimate given typical 9–12 month recoveries.
  • Even if late-season clearance becomes possible, reporting suggests Boston may slow-play a comeback to protect 2026–27 readiness, creating opportunities now for younger wings like Walsh, Baylor Scheierman, and Hugo Gonzalez.