Celtics Insider Predicts Jayson Tatum to Return Well Before End of Season

The Celtics are going to look entirely different than they did last season for a multitude of reasons.

With Kristaps Porzingis and Al Horford both departing over the offseason, the Celtics will sport some unfamiliar faces at the center position. Guard Jrue Holiday, one of the best defenders in the league, was traded away, opening a hole in the Celtics' defensive scheme.

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But no player's absence will make a bigger impact on the Celtics' on-court product this season than six-time All-Star forward Jayson Tatum, who tore his Achilles in the second round of the NBA playoffs and is likely to miss most if not all of the 2025-26 season.

However, don't tell that to Tatum. The 27-year-old seems confident that there is a good chance he returns this season, although he isn't rushing his recovery process.

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"Everybody thinks it's a time-based recovery," Tatum said in an exclusive interview with Poker Strategy reporter DJ Siddiqi. "Time is obviously important, but you have to hit certain benchmarks. The most important thing is all these tests of your strength, the strength in your calf, the strength in your leg. Getting into the same strength as your left calf or even stronger."

Some NBA insiders, including The Athletic's Jay King, are predicting that Tatum will, in fact, be healthy enough to justify returning before the end of the NBA season.

"Even if Tatum does appear this season, it’s highly unlikely that he will come back at his usual All-NBA level," King wrote. "He will need time to ramp up physically and will likely need to climb psychological hurdles after the first significant injury of his career. Still, based on how he has always fought to play in the past, he will likely be pushing the Celtics to suit up as quickly as possible."

Whether Tatum returns to a team in contention for the NBA playoffs will be the question. With such an overhaul in their roster, Boston is now missing several key pieces behind their 2024 championship run. However, as long as Boston can stay alive in the playoff race, perhaps they could receive a major boost in the form of Tatum come March.

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