What Rival Players Have to Say About Jayson Tatum's Potential Return To Action

Everyone is on Jayson Tatum watch right now. Now that he’s back at practice, the expectation is that once he’s built up enough stamina to give NBA basketball a shot, he’ll be back on the floor with the Boston Celtics.

Other evidence, like the release of a trailer teasing exclusive footage of his rehab to air on NBC, and NBC switching the March 1 game against the Philadelphia 76ers to prime time on their air, have all of us sleuths putting two and two together and looking at early March as a likely return timeframe.

“I'm feeling good,” he said a week ago after practicing with the Maine Celtics at the team’s practice facility. “It's been a long journey. And it's just like the progression of rehab. It was the next step. Doesn't mean that I'm coming back or I'm not. It’s just following the plan. So it's just another step."

Tatum and the Celtics can’t commit to a return date because they don’t know how the ramp-up will go. As long as this is part of the rehab process, there's a chance for a setback. But the eye witnesses have only seen Tatum look great.

Ron Harper Jr. said, “He looked like Jayson Tatum, I’ll say that much.”

At All-Star media day, Jaylen Brown said “He looked good, to be honest. He looks like he's progressing along. He's checking off all the right boxes … In terms of what I've seen, he looks pretty damn good.”

We’ve heard what his teammates have to say, but what about his rivals? The All-Star game was an opportunity to get some thoughts from opponents who are anticipating his return.

Someone who has been there before

Kevin Durant knows full well what Tatum is going through because he’s gone through it himself. We almost have to remind ourselves that Durant went through Achilles rehab, because he looks exactly the same now, and it still playing at a high level at 37 years old.

“I expect to see All-Star level play and the same Jayson Tatum we've seen before he was injured,” Durant said at All-Star media day. “Usually around this time you're playing a lot of five-on-five, playing against live bodies, just trying to get your rhythm and tempo back. So I'm looking forward to seeing him get out there with his team.”

Durant is obviously right on the money with where Tatum is rehab-wise, so if anyone knows how close Tatum could be, it’s Durant.

Someone who saw it happen

Knicks All-Star Jalen Brunson was standing in the middle of the paint as Tatum dove for the ball, pushing off with his right foot and snapping his Achilles tendon.

“Obviously seeing him go down last year, it sucks to see. You never want to see that from anyone in any sport,” Brunson said. “The fact that he's worked so hard to get where he is and is preparing a comeback is a testament to who he is. Basketball fans are definitely excited to see his comeback.”

Tatum’s work to get back this season is something he takes pride in. He’s mentioned it before in interviews, and his competitiveness is part of what drove him past the self-doubt to put himself in this position. Coming back during the season is a message to himself and the league of what he’s capable of doing.

Someone waiting for him at the top of the mountain

The Detroit Pistons are in the middle of an exciting season, especially after so many down years. Cade Cunningham is the head of the snake in Detroit, and he knows that Tatum’s return could ensure that their teams meet for a chance to go to the NBA Finals.

“I mean, obviously he's a Hall of Fame-type player, so he's going to definitely help them a lot,” Cunningham said. “But you know, we're just going to run our race. We like where we're at, and we're going to continue to try to finish our season strong.”

It’s very understated, which is appropriate for the low-key Cunningham. But the reality is that Tatum’s return to health could be the beginning of a long renewal of the Celtics-Pistons rivalry from the 1980s. These Pistons even have a little bit of the “Bad Boy” bloodline going, so it’s set up nicely for at least a few years of Boston-Detroit battles.

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