Boston Celtics Jayson Tatum shocked the NBA. He returned just 298 days removed from an Achilles tear. It’s not unheard of. Kobe Bryant, Tatum’s idol, powered through in just 240 days. The major drawback reported with an early return is the risk involved. Could the injury flare up again if the surgically repaired tendon isn’t ready yet?

Bryant’s trainer, Gary Vitti, discussed the issue at large with Bryon Scott. Having worked with the Black Mamba during his rehab process, Vitti stressed the key combination required to eliminate any sort of risk.

“Like from my perspective, you have to have a great surgery and great physical therapy. If you have great surgery, without physical therapy, you’re not going to come back the same. And the opposite is true… Not so great surgery, but great PT, it’s not going to work,” Vitti said on Fast Break.

The surgery part is concerned with the doctors. Jayson Tatum did a great job of getting surgery almost immediately after the tear. It prevented additional swelling, which propelled the speed of his recovery. Still, there are some things to take care of during the process of getting back into peak basketball shape. The tendon and joints around need to be retrained to handle the physical strains.

The two main components Vitti pointed to are hip flexibility to unlock the hamstrings and dorsiflexion. And the most important ingredient of it all is patience. With a combination of all of those things, Gary Vitti states that the recovery could actually provide better results than before the injury.

“To be perfectly honest, good surgery, good physical therapy, you know, not forcing dorsi flexion too early, you’re probably I’m going to say this, you’re probably going to end up with a structure post-op that’s better than what you were born with. Yeah. So, if you do it right, the chances of you re-rupturing that Achilles tendon is pretty slim,” Vitti added.

With great advancements in the medical industry, Tatum was able to return sooner than most thought. But it came after thorough rehab and workouts. Even then, the process of adjusting is still ongoing.

Jayson Tatum is still figuring it out

The Boston Celtics benefit hugely from Jayson Tatum’s return. The fanbase views the Duke alumni as their true cornerstone. But between those expectations, there’s a human element that gets lost. Tatum may have spent hours practicing his moves. But playing at game-level intensity requires confidence.

Tatum has to move past the hurdle of the injury itself. So, his efficiency hasn’t caught up yet. He’s shooting 38.8% from the field. Those nights do frustrate him. But Jayson Tatum also knows that there’s no magic to get back to his best. Facing adversity and going through tough moments is part of building his strength back up.

“I mean, it’s tough in the moment, but I try not to think about it. You just want to be Jayson Tatum and feel like yourself again. I’m not Superman, so it’s obviously going to take some time. I think the next day, I could give myself a little more grace over certain things, but in the moment, it’s frustrating,” he said after a rough night against the Minnesota Timberwolves.

Getting back to being Jayson Tatum, an All-Star caliber forward, is going to take a few more games. It might even mean he takes that secondary seat and lets Jaylen Brown operate as the ace for the remainder of the campaign. Those things are perfectly fine. What’s integral is that Tatum finds his rhythm organically.

Forcing stress is the exact thing Vitti suggests players need to avoid. The best of JT is yet to come, and that’s how it should be.