BOSTON — Dozens of media members crowded around the baseline of the practice courts at the Auerbach Center on Friday morning, hoping for a glimpse of Boston Celtics star Jayson Tatum, who was officially upgraded to questionable after being listed as out (due to an Achilles rupture) for the first 62 games of the Green Team's 2025-26 campaign. Tatum stayed in the weight room though, and largely out of view from the many cameras pointed at him.

Celtics wing Sam Hauser was the one to make the journey into the media fray. He was quickly enveloped by reporters eager for any update on Tatum ahead of the Celtics' Friday night showdown with the Dallas Mavericks at TD Garden. While Hauser wouldn't say whether or not Tatum was going to play in less than 12 hours, he did sing his praises.

“Obviously he's a really, really great player, great person,” he told the media scrum. “He does so many things on the basketball court that are very hard, but he makes it look really easy.”

Without Tatum, the Celtics have managed a 41-21 record and are in second place in the Eastern Conference. Those facts alone make it an impressive season for the C's but, as always, they want a ring — and they need their missing piece for that.

“We only have 20 games left, so it's going to have to be a quick process whenever that happens,” Hauser said of reintegrating Tatum into the lineup. “And as much as you want a grace period for that, we don't really have that luxury.”

Coming back from an Achilles injury is no joke in the NBA, and doing so late in the regular season offers another unique challenge. However, Hauser didn't sound very worried about getting Tatum acclimated.

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“He's been around [practice], so I think he'll be able to fit right in,” he said. “We'll be able to fit around him.”

There isn't much precedent for a second-place team adding a six-time All-Star to its roster amid a playoff push. Hauser, like many of his teammates, welcomed the relatively novel obstacle.

“We're all just going to have to figure it out on the fly, and that's a good thing for us to problem solve whenever that comes up, and figure things out on our own,” he stated. “But I think, overall, it's positive.”

For now, Tatum is still questionable, but it's worth noting that he said months ago that he planned to come back from injury at home. After Friday's home game against the Mavericks, the Celtics embark on a three-game road trip and won't return to Beantown until March 14th.

Whether or not Tatum has his homecoming soon, or takes the court again at all, won't impact Hauser's high opinion of him.

“He's humble in who he is, his approach every day,” Hauser lauded. “He puts the work in, gets his treatment, he's a good person, he's a good dad. I think that speaks volumes more than the player.”