Derrick White Says Jayson Tatum Will Need a “Grace” Period Upon Return From Achilles Tear

The NBA is in for an incredible comeback this week. Jayson Tatum, barring any unexpected setbacks, is expected to make his 2025-26 season debut this Friday, marking a miraculous recovery from his torn Achilles 10 months ago. JT went down during the Eastern Conference Semifinals matchup against the Knicks. New York would go on to win the series 4-2.

Many assumed that the C’s would be non-competitive this year since their superstar player was out. But Jaylen Brown, Derrick White, and the rest of the squad thought otherwise. Instead, Boston is No. 2 in the East and a secret sleeper team to potentially win the East. Brown in particular is having an MVP-caliber season, averaging nearly 30 points per game.

Which bodes the question? Should the Celtics even bring Tatum back? Sure, he’s their franchise superstar but why shake up a good thing? It’s on everyone’s mind, so much so that now the media is asking Boston players about it. Derrick White addressed this question head on and revealed that despite being out, JT has been in every film session meeting all year.

“Obviously we play a little bit differently. But JT has been around all year. He’s been in those film sessions and in the locker room with us. He’s been away from basketball for a while so it’s gonna be a little grace period for him,” stated White.

I asked Derrick White about finding a balance between making sure Jayson Tatum feels comfortable and him adapting to how the Celtics have changed this season.

“Obviously, we play a little bit differently, but like, JT has been around all year, so he’s been in those film sessions… pic.twitter.com/40aAmADuyw

— Bobby Krivitsky (@BobbyKrivitsky) March 5, 2026

Gauging how White feels about Tatum’s return from this answer of his would be fairly speculative. Though, it does look like he’s a slight bit reserved about a potential offensive change with JT being mixed into the fold.

White did ensure the press that regardless of rotations or gameplan, the C’s goal is still the same: win. “But at the end of the day we all just want to win and so that’s really what we are focusing on. We’re all going to do whatever it takes to win games.”

The good news for Tatum and Boston is that his return game is against the Mavericks, a team they should surely defeat to keep their momentum up in these last 19 games of the season. Brown and JT will be looking to reignite that fire that won the C’s the rings in the 2024 Finals.

But Boston is coming off the Hornets slapping them silly, the Knicks are picking up steam right behind them in 3rd place, and Detroit still sits at the top of the Conference. The Celtics are always a threat, especially with Tatum back, but this is not the same East as it was a year ago. The road will be difficult. So success could make Tatum’s comeback story that much sweeter.

About the author

Joseph Galizia

Joseph is a Las Vegas based actor and circus performer. For the last seven years he's had the pleasure of covering sports for multiple outlets, including the Lifestyles section of Sports Illustrated. In that time, he's conducted over 50 interviews with athletes, filmmakers, and company founders to further cement his footprint in the journalism world. He's excited to bring that skillset to the SportsRush, where he'll be covering the NBA news cycle.

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