Joe Mazzulla Praises Part of Jayson Tatum's Return That's 'More Important Than Anything Else'

The Boston Celtics head coach praised Tatum's work ethic, highlighting one play early in Tatum's return as a great sign of how he's progressing.

Mar 6, 2026; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum (0) goes to the basket past Dallas Mavericks center Moussa Cisse (30) during the second quarter at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Winslow Townson-Imagn Images | Winslow Townson-Imagn Images

Jayson Tatum is taking the night off against Oklahoma City as part of the plan to manage his return from a torn right Achilles. Nights off as his body gets reacclimated to NBA play are expected.

It might be hard for some people to grasp that Tatum is still in the rehab phase of his return considering how good he’s looked. He has played in three games, scoring 15, 20, and 24 points in about 27 minutes per game. There has been some rust and fatigue, but he has looked mostly like himself in many of those minutes. 

In his normal weekly radio appearance on 98.5 The Sports Hub, Mazzulla was asked about Tatum’s return, with host Scott Zolak saying he was impressed with Tatum’s “non-passiveness.”

“I think that's more important than anything else because what level of physicality can you reach trying to get comfortable?” Mazzulla said. “I think right from the beginning, I think even in the Dallas game, going up for the dunk was good because it just puts it behind you.” 

Tatum got stuck on the rim on that dunk, a clear sign his might was ahead of his body, but that’s Mazzulla’s point. The result of the play isn’t necessarily the important thing, it’s that Tatum wasn’t afraid to go for it. 

Tatum hasn’t shown any hesitance on the floor in his time back. He has attacked well, and he isn’t afraid to go for the step-back to his left, which requires pushing off with his right foot and flexing that Achilles tendon in the process. 

In the days following his comeback, the consensus among analysts is that he is further along than most expected.

“What you're seeing is a testament to the work ethic that he put in in the last 10 months,” Mazzulla said. “There's obviously going to be rust and things that you're working on and getting better. But I like effort. I like the quest to execute the details that we need to execute. And then just the ability to continue to get better each game. So I like where he's at.”

The best sign might be Tatum’s frustration at the minutes restriction. He was hot to start the fourth quarter in their loss to the Spurs, which forced a San Antonio timeout. Tatum ended up sitting a stretch there where he might normally have played considering Jaylen Brown’s ejection. By the time Tatum came back in, the Spurs stabilized and the Celtics couldn't complete their comeback.

“I could have played more,” Tatum said. “I understand the bigger picture. In the moment, I’m not thinking about my Achilles. I’m trying to compete, I’m trying to be out there, but it’s part of the plan so I gotta stick with it.”