Life comes at you fast in the NBA. One minute, you’re looking like a good bet to defend your NBA title. Next, you’ve been eliminated by the New York Knicks in front of Spike Lee and 20,000 of his closest friends while your best player recovers from a torn Achilles suffered just a few days earlier. For the Boston Celtics and Jayson Tatum, it’s going to be a long offseason.
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Tatum put together another outstanding season, helping the Celtics to a 61-21 record with an average of 26.8 points, 8.7 rebounds, and a career-high 6.0 assists. He’s a lock to make his fourth-straight All-NBA First Team, but going down with that torn Achilles late in Game 4 of the second round made his future uncertain.
The SportsRush was able to secure an exclusive interview with Dr. Nirav Pandya, Professor of UCSF Orthopedic Surgery and Director of Sports Medicine at Benioff Children’s Hospital in California, to discuss Tatum’s injury and recovery timeline. Celtics fans will be happy to hear that he had good things to say.
It’s a given that Tatum will take the best part of next season to recover and return to action. But the important thing for the Celtics fans to know is that their star will be back strong.
Tatum had delivered a signature performance to give the Celtics a chance in that game, going toe-to-toe with Jalen Brunson to put up 42 points while making 7 threes. He ruptured his Achilles tendon lunging for a loose ball with 2:58 left in the fourth period.
Tatum was visibly in excruciating pain from the non-contact injury and had to be helped off the court. Dr. Pandya explained how the latest techniques to treat such injuries will ensure a quicker return to action.
“Due to more advanced surgical techniques that allow for earlier rehabilitation [which prevents muscle loss, stiffness, etc.], more athletes are returning from Achilles injuries and performing at a high level,” Dr. Pandya said.
The sports medicine specialist cited Kevin Durant and Klay Thompson as two examples who have returned from an Achilles tear and continued to make a big impact in the league.
Part of those improved techniques is operating quickly on the injury, a practice that has become accepted in recent years as the best way to promote a full and rapid recovery. To that end, Dr. Martin O’Malley performed Tatum’s surgery less than 24 hours after the injury. O’Malley is among the medical staff for the Brooklyn Nets and was also Durant’s surgeon.
Tatum (27) also has the advantage of being younger than those former Warriors teammates were at the time of their injuries. So his youth should aid in his recovery.
Damian Lillard suffered the same injury as Tatum in the Milwaukee Bucks’ first-round loss to the Indiana Pacers. However, at 34 years old, he faces a tougher road to recovery.
Dr. Pandya cautioned fans not to expect Tatum to play at his highest level immediately upon returning. “We do see performance declines [especially in season 1] after an Achilles tear, but the drop is lessening as techniques are improving,” he said.
After coming back from his own Achilles tear, KD has continued to be one of the most unstoppable scorers in the league. That should be a beacon of hope for Tatum and the Boston faithful.
The Celtics have Tatum and Jaylen Brown locked into long-term contracts. And the team was sold earlier this year to a new ownership group. With one of the highest team payrolls in the league, it’s going to be interesting to see how they compete next year as they await Tatum’s return.
But they can take comfort in the knowledge that it looks like this should just be a setback for Tatum and not a career-threatening one.
