Dec 25, 2024; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum (0) react to game action during the second half against the Philadelphia 76ers at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Eric Canha-Imagn Images Eric Canha-Imagn Images

Celtics’ Jayson Tatum Takes Major Step in Achilles Recovery

Originally posted on Boston Celtics on SI
By Ricardo Klein | Last updated Jul 7, 2025 1:30 PM ET

The Boston Celtics have already had a monumental offseason. The Celtics have been gutted thus far, losing three key players to their rotation and possibly a fourth with Al Horford's future in Boston in limbo.

The Celtics will look like a different team next season, and in the midst of all that, they will be without their superstar forward, Jayson Tatum. Tatum is currently recovering from a ruptured Achilles that he suffered in the second round of the playoffs against the New York Knicks.

Tatum suffered the injury in Game 4 of the series, and that all but ended Boston's hopes of becoming a repeat champion. Almost two months have passed since the injury, and so far, Tatum is making swift progress.

Tatum has taken the next step in his recovery, as he was caught rehabbing in the pool.

Jayson Tatum in the pool rehabbing his Achilles (via @jaytatum0) pic.twitter.com/Aww7c9YoKy
— Overtime (@overtime) July 6, 2025

The six-time All-Star is on the road to recovery, and so far, things are looking great. Usually, Achilles injuries take about nine to 12 months to recover from. However, Tatum's recovery could be faster, and doing pool work less than two months after surgery is certainly a good sign.

Tatum's 2024-25 season was certainly one for the books. He played like an MVP candidate all season long, helping lead the Celtics to an impressive 61-21 record, which was good for the second seed in the Eastern Conference.

The Celtics were one of the deepest teams in the league, but at the head of the snake was Tatum. In the season, the former Duke Blue Devil averaged 26.8 points per game, 8.7 rebounds, 6.0 assists and 1.1 steals per game in 72 games.

Tatum has been durable throughout his career. The fewest games he has played in his career were 64, which occurred in the 2020-21 season. That season, the league played 72 games due to the fast upstart from the NBA restart.

As for the upcoming season, Tatum would be fortunate to appear in 20 games — though that will ultimately depend on how quickly his Achilles heals.

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This article first appeared on Boston Celtics on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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