Boston Celtics fans felt an understandable jolt of excitement when they saw Jayson Tatum's status upgraded to questionable on the injury report ahead of the Dallas Mavericks game on Friday.
While it will certainly be great to see Tatum back in the Celtics green 10 months after suffering a devastating Achilles tear, fans need to temper their expectations about what the 28-year-old superstar can immediately bring to the team.
If Tatum plays against Dallas as expected, this will be one of the quickest Achilles returns we have seen in recent years. Per NBA insider Tom Haberstroh's research, Tatum will be the second player since 2017 to return from an Achilles tear in less than 10 months. Players who suffered such injuries since then, including Klay Thompson, Kevin Durant, John Wall, and Dejounte Murray, all took more than a year to return to NBA action.
Looking at the list of players who have suffered the same injury, Durant is the outlier in terms of returning close to his pre-injury level. Almost no one has ever played at a near All-NBA level after suffering an Achilles tear.
At the same time, Tatum is the only player who was at Durant's level when he suffered the injury. So, if anyone is going to return at an elite level, it might be the Celtics superstar. Even if that is the case, it will likely take some time before Tatum is back to his All-NBA first team self.
How Jayson Tatum Can Fit into the Celtics' Lineup
In the meantime, Tatum will look for ways to seamlessly fit into what Boston is doing already. He has the benefit of integrating into a team and coaching staff that he is extremely familiar with.
What may be unfamiliar to Tatum is his immediate role.
The star forward was the team's go-to guy even in his rookie season. He was a primary offensive weapon, with a 23.3% usage rate as a 19-year-old carrying the Celtics to the Eastern Conference Finals. He was playing over 35 minutes per game in those playoffs and never averaged under 30 minutes per game in a season. He also never suffered a significant injury that kept him out for long enough that he required reintegration into the rotation.
This reintegration will mean a minute restriction. Tatum could be coming off the bench and playing less than 20 minutes per game at first. He may have to be more of an off-ball threat and a play finisher rather than a shot creator.
This is uncharted territory for Tatum. Going from being a superstar your whole life to being a three-and-D player is not easy. Tatum has the skillset to be an elite plug-and-play forward who can fit anywhere. He needs to accept the new reality.
There will be growing pains in this process. Tatum will likely try to shoot himself out of slumps. The Celtics need to be prepared for rough shooting nights and Tatum not looking like himself. It will be important to be patient and have a long-term approach.
As long as Tatum looks physically right and stays healthy, everything else will sort itself out.