Boston Celtics
“We can’t expect him to be the same player right away that he was before he got hurt.”
Paul Pierce is keeping his expectations in check regarding Jayson Tatum’s return. (AP Photo/Alex Gallardo, file)
March 4, 2026 | 4:56 PM
2 minutes to read
The writing is on the wall that Jayson Tatum will be back on the parquet floor at some point before the end of the 2025-26 regular season.
That’s welcome news for the Celtics, who already sit in second place in the Eastern Conference with a 41-20 record.
Even if Tatum — less than a year removed from suffering a ruptured Achilles tendon — returns with plenty of rust for this playoff push, his shooting ability, rebounding, and defensive versatility would represent a significant boost for Boston.
But Celtics legend Paul Pierce stressed that Boston fans will need to take a pragmatic approach to what they can reasonably expect from Tatum this spring.
”We have to wrap our minds around this: It sounds great. Ooh, Jayson Tatum is coming back,” Pierce said on the “No Fouls Given” podcast. “We can’t expect him to be the same player right away that he was before he got hurt. You don’t expect Jayson Tatum to come back and start getting 30 [points]. He has to work his way to that.”
Paul Pierce on Jayson Tatum’s return to the Boston Celtics on Friday night:
“We have to wrap our mind around this, it sounds great. Oo, Jayson Tatum is coming back. We can’t expect him to be the same player right away that he was before he got hurt. You know, that would be like,… https://t.co/kKUAh51egd pic.twitter.com/nhsXsP9Ck1
— NBA Courtside (@NBA__Courtside) March 4, 2026
Given Tatum’s accelerated recovery timeline, it’s to be expected that the 28-year-old forward will likely be on a minutes restriction if he’s cleared to play this spring. The severity of such an injury will likely lead to some growing pains for Tatum, who might have to augment his overall game to account for his surgically repaired heel and ankle.
Tatum may not be Boston’s go-to scorer during this playoff run. Nor should he be tasked with delivering step-back three-pointers in crunch time at this stage of his recovery.
But if Tatum can bolster other areas of Boston’s depth chart with his versatile skillset, it should help a Celtics squad that has been elevated by Jaylen Brown’s ascension as the club’s de facto scoring threat.
A minutes restriction for Tatum would also give Joe Mazzulla and his staff the leeway to still work athletic, younger wings like Hugo Gonzalez and Jordan Walsh into Boston’s regular rotation come the postseason.
Tatum, who tore his Achilles in May 2025 during the Eastern Conference Semifinals, has not set a firm date for his return to the court.
But NBA insider Chris Mannix believes there’s a chance Tatum could get the green light for Friday’s home game against the Dallas Mavericks.
“Every indication that I’ve been getting is that we are getting very close,” Mannix said on FanDuel’s “Run It Back” on Wednesday. “I think Friday — you don’t want to put a percentage on it — but I think it’s certainly in play for Jayson Tatum.
“Certainly, if it’s not Friday, it’s at some point quickly after that. I think we’ve gone past the point of will he be back, and now it’s down to when he will come back.”
Conor Ryan is a staff writer covering the Bruins, Celtics, Patriots, and Red Sox for Boston.com, a role he has held since 2023.
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