During last year’s playoffs, Jayson Tatum, Tyrese Haliburton, and Damian Lillard all suffered the same fate. Achilles injury sidelined them, and there have been speculations about their return since then. The Pacers previously effectively ruled out their 2x All-Star guard for this season. Meanwhile, Dame during the media day had a similar stance. But in JT’s case, the recovery seems so different that he may be back on the hardwood much sooner than everybody else expected.

This anticipation gained hyped when out of nowhere the 6x All-Star uploaded a video, where we see the Celtics forward hooping, training, and even deadlifting weights. So, medical expert Jesse Morse, MD, provided a potential return date and explained how it was possible in the first place. Renowned specialist Dr. Martin O’Malley immediately operated on the rupture in early May. Morse explained how O’Malley “released (research paper) last year discussing Achilles rehabs”.

According to that paper, “Now the goal here is to get back to about 90% what we call LSI…But the important thing to understand here is the timeframe of that. Now they’re quoting 24 weeks.” Another 4 weeks, meaning Jayson Tatum could be even better physically by late October, almost a month from now. It was possible since JT and the Celtics franchise decided to use surgery within 24 hours of the initial injury. Referring to the video, Dr. Jesse Morse added, “As we can see, he doesn’t have quite the lift that he should have, but the fact that he’s actually able to do these moves to do these things this quickly is incredible. So, do I think him returning in November is possible? It is technically possible.”

He called the situation involving the 27-year-old “rare air” and instead of November suggested a measured return date in January. “I’m assuming he did something called a speed bridge approach, which is basically a reinforcement of a PARS approach from my understanding, and that is going to allow him to return relatively quickly.” The PARS AMSS procedure provides stability and helps improve strength. How? It is reinforcing the tendon through a double-row anchor system.

Throughout the off-season, we saw a lot of glimpses of JT working hard on his recovery road. In July and August, he progressed to begin mobility exercises and pool work, and he notably started attending events without the support of the walking boot. That’s why Tatum has recently become confident about his return this season. “But I haven’t said like, ‘Yo, I’m not playing this season,’ or anything like that,” he said during an appearance on NBC.

Amid Jayson Tatum’s emotional moment, the Celtics star gets support from the NBA champions

First, also understand that an Achilles tear of the kind Tatum suffered typically takes around 9-12 months of rehabilitation. That’s why, as soon as the 6x All-Star hit the hardwood in pain, many assumed he would miss this upcoming season. In fact, the Boston franchise moves also suggested the same, as talks of ‘gap year’ emerged. The Beantown waved goodbye to key players who brought the 18th banner: Kristaps Porzingis, Jrue Holiday, and Al Horford. Behind the scenes, Tatum was fighting an emotional war.

“Mom, I might be done. I don’t know if I’ll be able to overcome this or if I’m up for this challenge.” It was an uphill battle that Jayson Tatum climbed, so Kevin Garnett extended his support—sharing the reel with the caption,  “Yessss sir… good movement. we see you JT..!! Keep working my guy.” The support also came in from Kevin Durant. He calls himself the “Achilles guy” because he ruptured his Achilles tendon in the 2019 NBA Finals and, to this day, is hooping at the highest level.

KD added on X, “Insane. Let’s get it JT.” The veteran Houston Rockets star expressed his excitement about seeing Tatum back on the court and motivated him to make a strong comeback. Cheering the Celtics forward are also the Beantown loyalists. In his video, JT stated, “For the love of the game, obviously, and then for the fans that, you know, support me and the team.” So, whether in November or January, these points point to a positive sign that Tatum could be back this season.