With Boston riding a five-game winning streak and climbing to the No. 3 spot in the East, Jayson Tatum has begun doing some 1-on-1 on-court work as he continues his recovery from an Achilles tear.
Asked Wednesday when real discussions might begin about the star forward potentially returning later this season, head coach Joe Mazzulla emphasized that the first step is determining where Tatum and his inner circle believe he is physically.
“It’s all up to him,” Mazzulla said. “At the end of the day, his health is the most important thing, his process is the most important thing. You trust him, trust the team that’s around him – he’s got a great team – and then you just kind of go from there. So it kind of just all starts (with) where him and his team think he’s at.”
Still, the decision won’t be Tatum’s alone. Any return plan will have to be agreed upon by the Celtics’ medical staff, front office, and Tatum’s personal doctors, ensuring no corners are cut in the recovery timeline.
Mazzulla reiterated that he isn’t spending energy worrying about whether Tatum will play this season, pointing out that the 27-year-old is contributing in meaningful ways even while sidelined.
“To me, the only thing I care about is his presence and his leadership, and he’s given that in different ways – on the bench for games, communicating with guys, in film sessions, traveling with us,” Mazzulla said.
“At the end of the day, he’s on our team. He’s a part of our team. He’s helping us get better, and then everything else just comes down to him and the people around him, and you just trust that.”
Notes from around the Atlantic on Jayson Tatum, Tyler Kolek, the Sixers' centers, and more: https://t.co/I8qNDjVqzc
— Hoops Rumors (@HoopsRumors) December 11, 2025
