Celtics assistant provides update on Jayson Tatum

It's only been five months since Tatum suffered his Achilles injury. He had surgery within 24 hours of getting hurt, which appears to have significantly sped up his timeline. 

However, one thing the video doesn't showcase is the long road Tatum still has to travel. A key takeaway was the lack of lateral movements in his workout. Once he adds those in and cycles through different paces and directional changes, the focus will move onto live-ball movements. Then, it will be about adding contact back into his routine and regaining trust in his body.

There are still multiple milestones Tatum will be working toward.

Jayson Tatum isn't rushing his return

During a Sept. 23 appearance on ESPN's "First Take," Tatum explained that he hopes to return at some point in the upcoming season but won't rush his recovery.

"The most important thing is a full recovery. And I'm not rushing it ... at all," Tatum said. "But also, I don't go to rehab six days a week for nothing."

Celtics fans must remain patient, though. The team isn't expected to contend this season, and bringing him back too soon will have risks attached to the decision. Tatum's recovery is clearly ahead of schedule. A return toward the end of the season shouldn't be off the table. 

But, for right now, the sole focus should be on him getting back to 100% and making an informed decision based on how his body is reacting to gradual increases in his workload.