It seems like the Boston Celtics are on the cusp of seeing Jayson Tatum make his return from an Achilles tear during the playoffs last year.
One veteran basketball writer, Marc Stein, believes in a “conspiracy theory” about when and why Tatum will be returning, per The Stein Report on Substack. Essentially, Tatum will look to return to the games the Celtics play on NBC.
“PPS — Boston has games on NBC on March 10 (at San Antonio) and March 22 (home against Minnesota) if you buy the conspiracy theory that Jayson Tatum wants to make his comeback from an Achilles' tear on the network that has been running extended behind-the-scenes coverage of his rehab.”
However, media personality Bill Simmons believes that Tatum will return much earlier against the Dallas Mavericks on Friday.
Tatum sustained an Achilles tear during the Eastern Conference Semifinals against the New York Knicks last May. A series in which the Celtics lost in six games.
Tatum finished last season averaging 26.8 points, 8.7 rebounds, and 6.0 assists per game.
Presently, the Celtics hold the second-best record in the Eastern Conference at 40-20. At the same time, they have won eight out of their last ten games.
Tatum won an NBA championship with Boston in 2024. He is also a 6-time NBA All-Star and was the 2023 NBA All-Star Game MVP.
Additionally, he has won two Olympic Gold Medals with Team USA in 2020 in Tokyo and 2024 in Paris.
Tatum has been with Boston since the 2017-18 NBA season as the 3rd overall pick coming out of Duke.
