Friday could be comeback day for Jayson Tatum.
On their latest injury report, the Celtics upgraded Tatum from out — his designation on every prior report as he worked his way back from Achilles surgery — to questionable for Friday’s game against the Dallas Mavericks at TD Garden (7 p.m.; ESPN).
If he is activated, it would be Tatum’s first appearance since May 12 of last year, when he ruptured his Achilles in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference semifinals against the New York Knicks.
Tatum underwent surgery the following day and spent the last 9 1/2 months rehabbing — a steady but tedious process that he described as “exhausting,” both physically and mentally. The four-time All-NBA wing resumed on-court workouts in September, was practicing 1-on-1 against Celtics coaches in December and ramped up his training earlier this month.
He participated in a practice with Boston’s G League team on Feb. 9. On Feb. 21, the Celtics shared a photo of Tatum practicing with his NBA teammates. ESPN’s Shams Charania reported last Wednesday that Tatum was “a full go in 5-on-5 scrimmages with the Celtics.”
Tatum’s new production company, Zero Pressure Productions, also collaborated with NBC Sports on a docuseries about his recovery, the third and fourth episodes of which seemingly were fast-tracked to premiere earlier this week, well ahead of the original release schedule.
Amica Insurance, the Celtics’ jersey sponsor, also recently began airing a commercial starring Tatum with the tagline: “We know what it takes to make a comeback.”
Through all of these developments, Tatum — who has attended nearly every Celtics game, home and road, while he recovers — has avoided publicly confirming he will return this season.
“It’s a long journey,” Tatum told reporters during the team’s recent West Coast trip. “You can’t rush it. You’ve got to take your time, go at your own pace, not really compare yourself to other guys. Everybody is different. But just kind of go at your own pace.”
Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla and president of basketball operations Brad Stevens both have said the team would not rush Tatum back, with Mazzulla saying the timing of his return would be “up to (Tatum).” Charania’s report last week indicated Tatum’s biggest remaining hurdle was “being 100% mentally ready” and having “100% confidence in that right leg.”
“Because the common theme from people close to Jayson Tatum has been him getting out there and returning to action is ‘when JT feels like JT,’” the ESPN insider reported. “And so the Celtics will take Jayson Tatum’s lead. He’s in the driver’s seat. He’s going to be the one to make the decision.”
Tatum’s scrimmages have taken place behind closed doors, but teammates have shared positive reviews of his progress.
“He looks good,” Derrick White said after Wednesday’s 118-81 loss to the Charlotte Hornets. “Playing, moving. It’s been good to see him back and getting up and down. You kind of see all the work he’s put in to get to this point, and it’s been great to see him be able to do what he loves to do.”
The big question now is how Tatum will fit back into a Celtics team that’s posted the NBA’s fourth-best record (41-21) and second-best net rating without him this season.
Will he be on a minutes restriction as he reacclimates to game speed? Will he immediately rejoin the starting lineup or come off the bench at first? What kind of impact will his return have on co-star Jaylen Brown, who’s averaging career highs in points (28.9), rebounds (7.2) and assists (5.0) this season as Boston’s unquestioned leader? Which of the Celtics’ energetic young wings (Baylor Scheierman, Hugo Gonzalez, Jordan Walsh) will remain in Mazzulla’s rotation?
The Celtics have 20 regular-season games remaining, giving Tatum and the team ample time to adjust before the playoffs begin in mid-April.
After Friday’s home game, the Celtics will enter the toughest stretch of their remaining schedule: a three-game road trip through Cleveland, San Antonio and Oklahoma City. The Thunder and Spurs are the top two teams in the Western Conference, and the Cavaliers, after an underwhelming first half of the season, are 17-5 since mid-January. The Cavs also will have four days off before they host Boston on Sunday.
