In Boston Celtics there is a clear message to Jayson Tatum: There is no type of urgency to accelerate your return. He made it clear Brad StevensGM of the Massachusetts franchise, when referring to the forward’s recovery process.
“Obviously, any team with Jayson Tatum is going to be better,” Stevens said. “If necessary, I will tell him every day. Because the 30 teams in the league would be much better with him.”
Tatum was the great figure of the organization’s 18th championship and also the driving force of the team during the start of the last postseason, until a rupture of his Achilles tendon in the Eastern semifinals against the Knicks brought his season to a screeching halt.
A competitive team even without its leader
The summer left signs of a possible transition in Boston following the trades of Jrue Holiday and Kristaps Porzingis, moves designed to alleviate the burden of the luxury tax. However, the Celtics have continued to compete at a high level and reached the trade deadline at the top of the Eastern Conference.
This good collective performance has generated an internal reflection in Tatum about how his return would fit into a group that has already built its own identity.
“It’s something I think about every day,” the six-time All-Star recently acknowledged. “They’ve played about 50 games without me and been successful. So I wonder what it looks like when I come back from an injury. Sometimes I think, ‘Am I back now or should I wait?'”
Stevens understands the doubts, but does not share them
The manager assured that he has not perceived real insecurity on the part of his star, beyond the normal feelings of any player who goes through a long rehabilitation.
“Those things go through everyone’s heads,” Stevens said with a laugh. “In our conversations, he firmly believes that he can help and improve the team.”
The organization insists that the process will be managed without external pressures.
“He’s been hitting all the steps he needed to, he’s doing more and more things and he’s going to continue to make progress,” Stevens explained. “There’s no rush on our part. When it’s ready, it’s ready.”
The priority remains one hundred percent Tatum
Stevens closed by making clear the franchise’s position regarding its top figure:
“The best thing for Jayson is to return when he is 110%, with everyone’s approval and completely calm. That is the goal. Nothing else matters.”
