An NBA scout said they were “shocked” by Jayson Tatum at Chris Paul’s camp, as he recovers from a torn Achilles.
Tatum suffered a torn Achilles during the second round of last season’s NBA playoffs, and most assumed that would rule him out of the entire 2025-26 season. The Boston Celtics then crashed out of the playoffs to the New York Knicks.
The Celtics have waved the white flag on next season. They traded Jrue Holiday and Kristaps Porzingis in order to prepare for the 2026 offseason. But an NBA scout revealed that Tatum’s timeline may be a little different to what was assumed.
NBA scout ‘shocked’ by Jayson Tatum, ‘I’m no doctor, but…’
Tatum’s recovery is ahead of schedule, and the six-time All-Star was revealed to be out of his walking boot recently. He is moving well and shocked an NBA scout at Paul’s CP3 Elite Camp in Las Vegas.
The scout told Heavy on Sports’ Steve Bulpett, “He was moving really well. I’m no doctor, but I’ve seen guys coming back from Achilles’ tears, and he looked way ahead.
“I was kind of shocked to see how well he was moving. I have no idea for what any of this means for when he can come back. I’m sure him and the Celtics’ medical people have their program set up, and they’ll make sure that he’s where he needs to be when he does get back.
“But he looks great right now. Of course, he didn’t do any running or even jogging, but he was in great shape and he had no trouble doing his part at the camp.”
That’s a great sign for Boston, who look to Jaylen Brown to lead them through the upcoming NBA season. If Tatum can make a return on the back end of the year, he could play himself back into game shape for 2026.
Jayson Tatum’s recovery is a good sign for NBA superstars
The NBA suffered an epidemic of Achilles injuries to its stars last season. Damian Lillard went down for the Milwaukee Bucks, and Tyrese Haliburton was injured in the NBA Finals for the Indiana Pacers. Both suffered Achilles injuries.
It’s assumed that Lillard and Haliburton will miss the upcoming season, but as is always the case with these injuries, there are serious questions about the level they will return to when back on the court.
Kevin Durant is an outlier in a long list of NBA players who have had their careers cut short with Achilles injuries. However, if Tatum can demonstrate that not only is the recovery time shorter, but players can also return to their brilliant best more quickly than before, that would be an excellent sign for the NBA.
Commissioner Adam Silver said he is looking at tackling the problem. Too many stars have suffered the same injury for him to do nothing. But this is much-needed positive news on this front.