The Boston Celtics are headed for a brutal summer. Their star forward, Jayson Tatum, ruptured his right Achilles tendon in the second round of the conference playoffs against the New York Knicks. Foot issues would force Tatum to miss most if not all of his rookie season. As the team prepares for his recovery, President of Basketball Operations Brad Stevens emphasized that they will not rush Tatum back onto the court.
Stevens assured that Tatum is on the right track after going under knife last month. He added that the team would be conservative about his rehab.
We won’t put a projected timeline on him for a long, long time. It’s baby steps right now. He’s actually progressed great, but I don’t know what that means in regard to projected timelines,” said Stevens. He said that first and foremost, of course, is making sure Tatum comes back completely healthy whenever he steps back on the court.
Jaylen Brown returns to the practice facility of the Boston Celtics. He had a minimally invasive surgery this past May to address issues with his right knee. The forward is currently engaging in light ball handling and work around the rim as he progresses through his recovery.
It’s no stretch to say the Celtics are maneuvering through some massive transitions. Per ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith, their plan should be to see if Brown can step up as a real true No. 1 option. This assessment, of course, comes at the peak of the team’s ongoing efforts to get their payroll and rapidly growing salary cap situation under control.
The Celtics are clearly making an effort to duck below the luxury tax second penalty apron. They’ve each signed off on deals for Kristaps Porzingis and Jrue Holiday. Stevens suggested that this step is an opening salvo towards broader efforts to get refund flexibility following multiple years of heavy payroll obligations.
“As far as whatever moves that those are a part of, they’re all separate and hard and things that you’re going to have to do your best to make sure you put yourself in the right positions,” said Stevens regarding the team’s offseason decisions.
Tatum’s injury has greatly changed the immediate future of the Celtics. His status for the upcoming season is in limbo. The organization now faces some difficult and introspective questions as they analyze their roster and plan their next moves.
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