Must Cs: Jayson Tatum teases return with “The Quiet Work”

During Sunday’s All-Star Game festivities, Jayson Tatum and the NBA on NBC dropped this trailer:

Per the YouTube summary, the five-part documentary:

For the first time in his life, the game that defined Jayson Tatum was taken away by an Achilles injury. The five-part docuseries THE QUIET WORK follows Jayson through the most challenging stretch of his career as he fights to return to the NBA. From the locker room to the hospital room, through rehab and recovery, and ultimately back to the court, this is the unseen side of his journey and the work no one ever witnesses.

Until now.

Paired with the news this weekend that the Celtics’ March 1st home game against visiting Philadelphia 76ers was rescheduled from 6 pm to primetime at 8 pm and air on NBC, the speculation that Tatum is set return soon seems more and more like a reality. He had previously said that his first game back would be at TD Garden.

Earlier in the week, President of Basketball Operations threw some cold water on the rising expectations that JT was just around the corner from stepping back on the floor, saying, “(It’s) best for Jayson Tatum to come back when he’s 110% healthy, he’s fully clear by everybody that matters in that decision and he’s got great peace of mind and ready to do it. That’s it. That’s the objective and that’s what we’re gonna stick with,” Stevens said.

“When we feel 100%, it’ll be his, it’ll be a group getting together and talking, but I think our medical people are really good, I think his doctors are really good, so we’re gonna listen to them, he’s listening to them. I think he and Nick have had an amazing work ethic through this recovery, and when it’s right, then we’ll all sit down and talk about it, but there’s still no force from us, there’s no pressure from us, but there’s also not going to be any of us saying, well, why don’t you take another week? When he’s ready, he’s ready.”

Then, Tatum’s rehab moved to controlled 5-on-5 including a practice with the Maine squad with Hugo Gonzalez and Amari Williams in tow.

After the workout, Tatum said, “It doesn’t mean I’m coming back or not.” There may still not be a definitive decision made, but all signs — the tea leaves, the media push, the physical ramp up — point to Tatum return on the horizon.