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DETROIT — Hours before a showdown of the Eastern Conference’s two top teams, Jayson Tatum provided Boston Celtics fans with an additional dose of excitement when he went through an hour-long workout in front of the media.
Most of Tatum’s injury rehabilitation has taken place away from the public eye, but his workout Monday morning offered a peek behind the curtains. At Seaholm High School, where the Celtics held shootaround before their game against the Detroit Pistons, several assistant coaches, including Tony Dobbins, put Tatum through a series of on-court drills. He flashed his typical outside touch and showcased the physical progress he has made over the eight months since rupturing his Achilles last spring.
Tatum did shooting drills simulating coming off screens. He worked on his pull-up jump shots. He drove through contact from Dobbins, who was playing the role of defender. Tatum rose for a few dunks during the workout as well.
He was not available for comment afterward, but teammate Derrick White said it has been “amazing to see” Tatum’s progress.
“Obviously, all the work he’s put in, and you just kind of see him being around more and being able to do more,” White said. “So, that’s exciting to see as a friend. Every day he’s been working hard, and it’s good to see all that hard work add to some more movement and more opportunity.”
Though Tatum has made it known he would like to play this season, the Celtics have put no timeline on his return. Following the workout Monday, coach Joe Mazzulla offered little further detail on the star’s rehabilitation, though Mazzulla did acknowledge it was “interesting” that Tatum worked out in front of the media the way he did. He had previously not done much in front of the media.
“I don’t know where he’s at,” Mazzulla said Monday evening. “I just trust the strength staff. I trust the sports science staff. I don’t know where he’s at, but I trust those guys, and I know they’re working really hard to put him in position to be successful and just get better every day.”
If Tatum does return this season, his presence would fortify a team that has played like a contender in his absence. Even with him sidelined all season, the Celtics entered the midway point of the regular season in second place in the Eastern Conference at 26-15. They also rank second in net rating across the NBA thanks partly to a big season from Jaylen Brown, who was named an All-Star starter on Monday. Mazzulla said he was very happy to see Brown earn the honor.
The Celtics will be thrilled whenever Brown gets his running mate back. White said he does not know exactly where Tatum stands in his injury rehab but suggested his teammate has been itching to come back.
“You know he doesn’t want to watch,” White said. “He wants to get out there and play. But he’s been amazing just supporting. Every game, just having him over there has been a lot of fun. And I have no idea exactly what the timeline is or how he’s doing, but it’s just good to see him moving around and just supporting us.”
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Jay King is a staff writer for The Athletic covering the Boston Celtics. He previously covered the team for MassLive for five years. He also co-hosts the “Anything Is Poddable” podcast. Follow Jay on Twitter @byjayking
