Ever since tearing his Achilles tendon last May, Jayson Tatum has been working tirelessly to get back on the court for the Boston Celtics.
Now, 36 weeks removed from surgery, he’s getting close to a return.
The new-look Celtics have remained great without him, however, going 29-17 as the second seed in the Eastern Conference.
On Tuesday’s episode of Rylan Clark’s “The Pivot” podcast, Tatum expressed concern about coming back and potentially disrupting Boston’s chemistry.
“They have an identity this year or things that they felt have clicked for them, and it’s been successful,” Tatum said. “There could obviously be some challenges…Do I come back or should I wait? It’s something that I, recently in the last two weeks or so, just kind of contemplate every single day.”
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It’s not surprising that Tatum is having second thoughts at this stage of the season. The Celtics have been fine without him, so why risk messing up a good thing? Jaylen Brown is leading the way, and many players around him have stepped up and flourished in new roles.
It also says a lot about his team-first attitude. While he’s dying to get back on the court, he still wants what’s best for the team.
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That said, there’s no question that Boston will be a better team once Tatum comes back, even if he’s not fully back to where he was before the injury. If the Celtics want to seriously compete for a championship this year, they need both of their superstars.
Featured image via David Butler II/Imagn Images
