This is a weird Boston Celtics season until proven otherwise.
There’s no Jayson Tatum, for a long time.
Tatum tore his Achilles in the spring as the Celtics played in the postseason. It’s an injury that can keep a player out for a year or longer.
There’s already been positive vibes, though. Tatum has been captured on video dunking off two feet already.
The Celtics will have to figure out most of this season without him, but maybe not all of it.
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When is Jayson Tatum coming back?
There’s a growing belief that Jayson Tatum will return to play sometime in the 2025-26 season, potentially as early as late winter, but if not then, in the spring.
NBC Sports Boston’s Chris Forsberg predicted that Tatum could be back as soon as February.
“The speculation is going to be perpetual, especially once Tatum is able to start really cranking up his on-court work,” Forsberg said. “There are plenty of steps to navigate and the Celtics must exercise maximum caution with the long term in mind. But we threw a dart at March while predicting a potential Tatum return date over the summer, and we’re already eager to update our forecast.”
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The Athletic recently speculated at a March return for Tatum.
The initial hope for Celtics fans when Tatum went down with his torn Achilles during the playoffs was that maybe, just maybe, he’d heal up in time for a 2026 postseason run.
It sounds like Tatum may get back before the playoffs now.
Obviously, there’s a lot of time for things to get better or worse.
But any good Tatum news is good news for the Celtics.
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