Celtics’ Joe Mazzulla Clarifies His Role In Jayson Tatum Return

No matter how many games the Boston Celtics win without Jayson Tatum, they won’t be able to escape the ever-present media narrative about Tatum’s return to the court.

Tatum himself has contributed to the exciting buzz by consistently sharing his rehab progress with workout videos over the past couple of months.

It’ll be fascinating to end up seeing how and when a decision is reached on Tatum’s return, but Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla made it clear on Wednesday that he won’t be a major part of that decision.

“It’s all up to him,” Mazzulla told reporters at Boston’s practice facility. “All starts about where him and his team think he’s at. To me, the only thing I care about is his presence, his leadership.”

Mazzulla’s take on Tatum’s return aligns with the rest of Boston’s leadership. Everyone from Wyc Grousbeck and Rich Gotham to Brad Stevens and now Mazzulla have been adamant that there is absolutely no expectation for a Tatum return in 2025-26, and that the timeline is wholly up to JT himself.

The over-arching priority is obviously Tatum’s long-term health, even despite pressure from the media and fans to return ASAP.

Tatum tore his Achilles on May 12, meaning Friday will mark the seven-month mark since the injury. The Ringer’s Bill Simmons recently pointed out that Miami Heat guard Dru Smith return to NBA action on October 22 after tearing his Achilles on December 23 of the prior year, equating to a 10-month recovery process.

If Tatum were on the same schedule, a March return could be in play, but nothing is known about the true nature of Tatum’s timeline, or his injury as compared with Smith’s. ‘Tis all speculation, and must remain so for the sake of JT’s protection.

For now, it’s easy to enjoy the Celtics without their star, seeing as Boston is 15-9 and one of the best teams in the Eastern Conference.

The Celtics, winners of five straight, will return to action on Thursday with a road game against the Giannis-less Bucks.