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Bill Simmons won’t rule out Jayson Tatum return despite Celtics reluctance
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- Bill Simmons won’t rule out Jayson Tatum return despite Celtics reluctance
The post Bill Simmons won't rule out Jayson Tatum return despite Celtics reluctance appeared first on ClutchPoints .
Bill Simmons believes there is still a possibility Jayson Tatum could return to the court this season , even as the Boston Celtics have downplayed the chance of a comeback.
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On the latest episode of The Bill Simmons Podcast, the longtime media personality speculated about a potential return for the six-time All-Star, who is recovering from an Achilles tear suffered during last season's playoffs.
"Tatum, who knows? The Celtics are saying he's not coming back, but I don't know," Simmons said. "It'll be 10 months like right after the All-Star break, right around his birthday, which has been floated around in circles about could he be back on his birthday on March 3rd. That's 10 months from the injury. We talked in the past about he had the surgery within 10 hours in New York, never flew. This would be like the greatest test case for could somebody actually come back."
Simmons added that the Celtics will inevitably weigh the risk and reward if Tatum's recovery accelerates.
"If you're the Celtics you can't not think like well what happens if he's 100% and scrimmaging in February and like what are we just going to do not play him?" Simmons said. "So, I don't know the answer to that and I don't think they do either."
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Tatum, who turned 27 this year, was in the midst of another standout campaign before the injury. During the 2024-25 regular season, he averaged 26.8 points, 8.7 rebounds, six assists and 1.1 steals per game while shooting 45.2% from the field and 34.3% from three-point range across 72 contests. He logged 36.4 minutes per game as Boston secured the No. 2 seed in the Eastern Conference.
Bill Simmons fuels Jayson Tatum return talk as Celtics start 2025-26 without him
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His production increased during the postseason. Across eight games, Tatum averaged 28.1 points, 11.5 rebounds, 5.4 assists and 2.1 steals per contest while shooting 42.3% overall and 37.2% from deep. He played more than 40 minutes per game before suffering the Achilles injury in Boston's second-round series against the New York Knicks . The Knicks went on to win the series in six games, ending the Celtics' title defense.
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The Celtics have maintained publicly that Tatum is not expected to return during the 2025-26 season, but Simmons' comments have reignited speculation. March 3, his birthday, has been cited by some as a potential benchmark should his recovery continue without setbacks. A return at that stage would be roughly 10 months post-surgery, a timeline that has drawn cautious optimism in league circles.
Boston will begin the 2025-26 season without its franchise cornerstone, leaning on Jaylen Brown and new additions following significant offseason changes. The Celtics traded Jrue Holiday to the Portland Trail Blazers and Kristaps Porzingis to the Atlanta Hawks while reshaping the roster under new ownership.
Whether Tatum will test the limits of modern sports medicine remains uncertain, but Simmons' comments reflect the hope that Boston could see its star forward back on the floor sooner than anticipated.
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