Jayson Tatum is officially listed as “questionable” on the injury report when the Boston Celtics host the Dallas Mavericks on Friday night.
For players who have been sidelined for extended periods of time due to injury — Tatum has yet to play this season after tearing his Achilles in last season’s playoff series against the Knicks — the transition from “out” to “questionable” usually indicates they will return for the next game. ever Tatum is reportedly close to returning to the Celtics lineup, We know he’s been in a lot of 5-on-5 scrimmages (including against the G-League Maine Celtics). However, the move on the injury report is a clear sign that he could be back soon.
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While Tatum and the Celtics have refused to give a timetable for a return or even confirm it will happen, he and the team are acting as if they are making a comeback this season. Players will not be sent to the G-League for workouts and workouts unless they return. Boston won’t trade winger Anfernee Simons for the big-man depth needed for Nikola Vucevic unless they get another winger and be ready for the playoffs. Additionally, Tatum is working on a documentary about his return, “Quiet Work,” available at Peacock – This only happens if there is an expected return.
The issue is the return date, and the only thing officials have said is that any return will be at home. That leaves Friday’s game against Dallas, or waiting until March 14 when the Washington Wizards come to town. It looks like Boston and Tatum should go sooner rather than later.
Tatum’s return now gives the Celtics about six weeks to get him back into game shape and iron out any issues before the playoffs begin.
Tatum’s return has been warmly welcomed, but it’s also been a bit nuanced.
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Tatum is one of the league’s elite players, ranking in the top six in MVP voting over the past four seasons and averaging 26.8 points, 8.7 rebounds and 6 assists per game last season. He’s a career 37% three-point shooter who must be respected anywhere on the court, and he’s also an excellent defender.
The challenge will be for Boston — and Jaylen Brown in particular — to thrive without him. Boston has been one of the biggest stories of the season, surprising everyone outside the locker room with a 41-21 record so far, sitting second in the Eastern Conference and ranking in the top six in both offense and defense. Jaylen Brown is being mentioned in the MVP conversation as he leads this surprising team with averages of 28.9 points, 7.2 rebounds and 5 assists per game.
Tatum needs to come back and adapt to what he’s doing instead of trying to take over his old role (he may not be 100 percent back to his form). Tatum must mature as a player and play a secondary role this season, which is what he hinted at doing in interviews with the media, but saying and doing may be different things.
If Tatum returns and fills that role, Boston will now likely be the favorite to emerge from a wide-open East.
That journey looks set to begin on Friday.
