Jayson Tatum was so candid about his struggles during Achilles comeback
Jayson Tatum doesn't look like himself right now. Given what he's endured, that's not at all surprising.
Technically speaking, everything the Boston Celtics want to accomplish this season is still right in front of them. At the moment, Boston is the No. 2 seed in the Eastern Conference.
If things break right, the Celtics could make their third run to the NBA Finals this decade, perhaps even winning their second NBA title in three seasons . But it's hard to see the Celtics reaching such lofty heights without elite play from Jayson Tatum . After tearing his Achilles tendon last May, the perennial All-NBA forward made his return to Boston's lineup earlier this month.
For someone who suffered one of the worst injuries for a professional athlete, early returns on Tatum's play have mostly been pretty promising. He seems way ahead of schedule, given that he didn't play elite competitive basketball for about 10 months. But Tatum isn't yet playing at a consistent superstar level; a level the Celtics will need him to return to if they want to compete for this year's Larry O'Brien Trophy.
To be clear, that's not surprising. Tatum needs time to work his way into rhythm and the swing of things. No one reasonable should've expected to look consistently dominant this fast .