Why Jayson Tatum isn't playing for Celtics with new injury update originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
The 2025 postseason couldn’t have gone worse for the Boston Celtics.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementIn addition to falling to the Boston Celtics in the Eastern Conference Semifinals, the franchise’s 27-year-old star forward, Jayson Tatum, endured an Achilles injury that has forced him to miss the start of the 2025-26 season.
On the bright side, the Celtics haven’t ruled Tatum out for the entire year, and according to teammate Sam Hauser, the Duke product is progressing well.
“He’s (Tatum) staying mentally, physically, emotionally prepared,” Hauser told the Boston Globe’s Adam Himmelsbach on Friday. “He’s working his tail off every day, as you can see. And his presence is still felt even though he’s not out there with us.”
“We appreciate him giving his time to us still, even though he hasn’t been able to compete with us in full. But hopefully (he’ll return) at some point in the season. If not, no big deal. But he’s definitely still one of our leaders.”
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementDespite boasting an average 10-9 record, the Celtics are in a decent spot entering December.
The 2024 NBA champions are only 5.5 games back from the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference and could put the league on notice down the line if Tatum is in a position to return before the end of the season.
In the meantime, Jaylen Brown will continue to lead the charge for Boston and help keep the franchise in contention in Tatum’s absence.
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