Jayson Tatum said Friday he did not know whether he would be ready for the playoffs after tearing his Achilles tendon in last season’s postseason, but he is now set to open a first-round series Sunday against the Philadelphia 76ers.
The Celtics forward returned in March and gave Boston the kind of production that changes the tone of a series. In 16 regular-season games, most under a minutes restriction, Tatum averaged 21.8 points, 10.0 rebounds and 5.3 assists while the Celtics went 13-3 with him in the lineup. Boston outscored opponents by 10.5 points per 100 possessions with him on the court, a reminder that even in a limited run he still drove winning at a high level.
“The short answer would be, yes,” Tatum said when asked whether he expected to be ready. “I didn’t even know if I was going to play this year,” he said, adding that he was grateful to have a place on the roster again and a chance to be part of the playoffs. He also said, “I’m excited,” and described his perspective as changed over the last 48 weeks since the injury. “I remember when I got injured, there was a lot of uncertainty. The playoffs wasn’t a sure thing. And now that I get that opportunity, couldn’t be more happy.”
That recovery arc matters because Boston is walking into the postseason without an easy path. Joel Embiid has already been ruled out of Game 1 because of an appendix issue, but the Celtics still have to deal with Tyrese Maxey, who can attack in transition, get to the line and create his own scoring chances. Coach Joe Mazzulla said Maxey can get wherever he wants on the court and tests a defense’s discipline because he can score at all three levels. For Boston, the return of Tatum does not remove the challenge; it just changes the shape of it.
The bigger question now is whether the version of Tatum that returned in March can carry into a playoff setting after 48 weeks of uncertainty. Sunday will give the first answer.
