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Jayson Tatum #0 of the Boston Celtics reacts after their 132-106 win over the Atlanta Hawks at State Farm Arena on January 17, 2026 in Atlanta, Georgia.
The Boston Celtics opened the second half of their season Thursday night in San Francisco. Jaylen Brown posted a triple double. Payton Pritchard added 26 points off the bench. Boston won 121-110 and moved to 36-19, good for second place in the Eastern Conference.
Jayson Tatum continued to watch from afar. He has not played a single game this season while recovering from the torn Achilles he suffered in last year’s playoffs. Every win Boston adds without him only raises the stakes for when he eventually returns.
That moment is getting closer. On Friday, NBA insider Shams Charania provided a fresh update on where Tatum’s recovery stands.
Shams Provides Key Update on Tatum’s Return
Shams appeared on the Throwbacks Show and laid out exactly where the process stands for Tatum and the Celtics.
“Jayson Tatum has been doing five on five for a period of weeks now,” Charania said. “These are the steps you take as you ramp up.”
Five on five for weeks. That is not a player testing his legs in controlled drills. That is a player running full competitive sets consistently enough that the people around him are tracking how his body responds over time. The progression is real.
Charania then outlined what comes next.
“At the end of the day only he can be the one that gives the final clearance,” Charania said. “About a dozen people involved here at the end. Doctors, his side, Celtics officials, are eventually gonna gather in a room and be like ‘ok, we’re good. Let’s move forward.’”
The picture that emerges is one of a process approaching its conclusion rather than its midpoint. The timeline is ultimately Tatum’s to control. When his body tells him he is ready, that is when it happens.
Turner Gives Inside Read on Tatum’s Mindset
Former Celtic and NBA analyst Evan Turner offered a perspective that goes beyond the logistics. Speaking on Sports Illustrated’s Open Floor NBA Show, Turner drew on his personal knowledge of Tatum to share what he believes is coming.
“The hooper that I know, the person that I know, he’s itching to get back,” Turner said. “I think I see him March 1st. His birthday’s March 3rd. You know Jayson, he likes to give himself nice gifts.”
March 1st carries its own significance beyond the birthday. The NBA moved Boston’s home game against the Philadelphia 76ers that night from 6 PM to 8 PM on NBC’s national broadcast. The league does not reschedule games to primetime without reason.
What Tatum’s Return Means for Boston
The Celtics have built something real in his absence. Thirty-six wins. Second in the East. Brown producing at an MVP level, averaging close to 30 points per game while carrying the offense night after night.
That foundation does not disappear when Tatum returns. It becomes the platform he steps back onto. Brown does not revert. The bench depth Boston built through the trade deadline does not shrink. Everything that exists right now remains, and Tatum adds to it.
A healthy Tatum alongside this version of Brown makes the Celtics a different proposition entirely for any team that has spent the season preparing for Boston without him. The adjustment period runs both ways.
GettyJaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum of the Boston Celtics.
Final Word for the Celtics
Jayson Tatum has been running five on five for weeks. Evan Turner, someone who knows him personally, is pointing to March 1st. The NBC primetime slot is booked. The pieces are aligning in a way that is hard to ignore.
Only Tatum knows when his body is truly ready. That is the part no insider can report and no analyst can predict. The final clearance belongs to him alone.
March 1st is ten days away. The Celtics are 36-19 and playing well. Brown is an All-Star starter for the first time in his career. The second half has started exactly the right way.
The quiet work is almost done. The room will gather. The decision will come.
Boston is ready for what comes next.
Keith Watkins Keith Watkins is a sports journalist covering the NBA for Heavy.com, with a focus on the Golden State Warriors, Boston Celtics, and Los Angeles Lakers. He previously wrote for FanSided, NBA Analysis Network, and Last Word On Sports. Keith is based in Bangkok, Thailand. More about Keith Watkins
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