Boston Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla left the media grasping for clarity on Saturday by refusing to confirm whether Jayson Tatum actively took part in the team’s practice session, days before Sunday’s game against the Los Angeles Lakers. While Mazzulla did verify that Tatum was physically present, his evasive response fueled speculation about the star player’s recovery progress from his Achilles injury.
Tatum himself acknowledged on Saturday that he engaged in a limited five-on-five scrimmage following practice but avoided elaborating further.
“It’s tough to go into detail on every single thing I’m doing every day, but I will say I’m just getting acclimated more and doing little things with some of the guys out there, but it’s all part of rehab and just going with the plan.”
— Jayson Tatum, Boston Celtics All-Star
Mazzulla Offers Cautious Remarks on Tatum’s Recovery
The Celtics coach’s reticence continued on Sunday, shortly after he sidestepped questions about whether he believes Tatum is nearing a return to full gameplay. His response emphasized a reliance on systematic evaluation rather than intuition.
“I don’t operate on feel. I live by principle.”
— Joe Mazzulla, Boston Celtics Head Coach
Since the team announced that Tatum had started controlled five-on-five scrimmages and workouts with both the Maine Celtics of the G League and other teammates, media inquiries regarding his health and readiness have been persistent. Nevertheless, Tatum has been careful not to confirm any timeline for his comeback.
“I do not have a date,”
Tatum said ahead of the Lakers matchup.
“Like I said I’m taking it one day at a time, I feel better than I did yesterday…and that’s what’s most important.”
Insights and Speculation on Tatum’s Return Timeline
Adding to the cautious narrative, ESPN’s Brian Windhorst reported on Monday that the Celtics are deliberately minimizing expectations to avoid rushing Tatum back to action prematurely. He explained that returning from an Achilles injury involves rebuilding significant leg strength, and progress does not follow a straight path.
“The Celtics are purposely trying to keep expectations at zero,”
Windhorst said.
“Returning from an Achilles injury is not linear — there’s an incredible amount of strength that needs to go into that leg. He has been playing five-on-five and participating in practice, but they’re not going to go anywhere near a timeline.”
Windhorst also mentioned that Tatum released the first episode of a documentary series titled The Quiet Work during the weekend, an indicator that the player sees a realistic chance to return during this season.
“I don’t think he lets that out there unless he thinks there’s a reasonable chance he could get back [this season],”
Windhorst added.
Meanwhile, Celtics insiders such as Bill Simmons have speculated that the March 1 game against the Philadelphia 76ers could mark Tatum’s comeback.
“So it’s really starting to look like March 1st or March 6th, but my money would be on March 1st now for him,”
Simmons remarked.
“I had been hearing first week of March for a while. That it was going to be somewhere around that March 4th, March 6th game.”
“Conspiracy Bill has also noted that if you go on any ticket resale site for the Dallas March 6th game, the prices are way out of whack. And it can’t just be that Cooper Flagg is coming to town.”
— Bill Simmons, Celtics Insider
Celtics Maintain Momentum While Monitoring Tatum’s Progress
The Celtics bolstered their position as Eastern Conference contenders with a decisive 111-89 victory over the Lakers on Sunday, marking their third consecutive win and ninth in ten games. Their overall record now stands at 37-19, and the team anticipates becoming strong favorites to represent the East in the NBA Finals should Tatum rejoin before the playoffs begin.
Tatum’s injury update remains a focal point for the franchise, fans, and media alike, as Boston balances patience with the urgency to regain its star forward. The cautious approach adopted by Mazzulla and the team highlights the complexity of rehabilitating from a major injury, especially ahead of the critical second half of the season.
Joe Mazzulla said Jayson Tatum was at practice yesterday but wouldn't answer when asked if he participated in any of it.
— Bobby Manning (@RealBobManning) February 22, 2026
Did Jayson Tatum practice yesterday?
"He was at practice?"
Did he participate?
*Stares*@CLNSMedia | Q: @RealBobManning pic.twitter.com/SOLMYuzu4J
— Celtics on CLNS (@CelticsCLNS) February 22, 2026
