When do you think Tatum makes his season debut?

[Roy H.]

IT shares his opinion:

Isaiah Thomas on Jayson Tatum: "Personally, I don't feel like he should come back. like being a guy that's been injured before this that they that got injured playing your best basketball ever and then coming back and being expected to be that same person right away. It's like you're in a lose-lose situation. And to be on a really good team like all of this has happened to me, so I'm talking from experience. I don't think there's a rush for him to come back. Like you come back and say you play okay and you guys don't win. Who are they blaming? they're blaming you. That's just unnecessary pressure put on yourself. And then it's an Achilles tear. So, it's like, let's not rush this back. Yes, they've done probably the right steps. And yes, he's probably getting healthy and he feels like he's good enough to play for sure. And I've been that age, too, and being young. Like, just that your pride and your ego and you feeling like you're missing out on things.
YouTube

IT obviously regrets playing through his injury.

can't blame him considering he was never close to being the same player again.

And prevented him from getting the big contract he was about to get most probably.

Yeah, IT is one of the clearest examples regarding why athletes should put themselves first:

1.  His initial injury was misdiagnosed by team doctors;

2.  He followed their advice, reinjuring himself further;

3.  His injury was properly diagnosed, but he was told he could play in the playoffs without further injuring himself;

4.  He played through pain, and reinjured himself;

5.  He gets traded and is never the same player again.  He never gets a new contract for above the minimum.

[MattyIce]

From the league: the Celtics' home game versus Philadelphia on Sunday, March 1st has been moved from 6 pm to 8 and will now be televised by NBC

per Steve Bulpett

Tatum return date?

[Donoghus]

From the league: the Celtics' home game versus Philadelphia on Sunday, March 1st has been moved from 6 pm to 8 and will now be televised by NBC

per Steve Bulpett

Tatum return date?

Very interesting.  Apparently, NBC kicked off OKC/DAL too.

[Roy H.]

?I don?t know if you saw this over the weekend. Celtics and Sixers on Sunday night March 1st. Moved from six to eight PM. That got a hmm,? Simmons said. ?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.? ?So it?s really starting to look like March 1st or March 6th, but my money would be on March 1st now for him.?

Clutch Points

One note on this:  the Mavs tickets have been out of whack all season.  It was the same thing when Flagg played at BC last year.  For whatever reason, Maine fans travel.  Heck, there was a huge contingent that made the trip to Dallas for our game there. 

[Donoghus]

?I don?t know if you saw this over the weekend. Celtics and Sixers on Sunday night March 1st. Moved from six to eight PM. That got a hmm,? Simmons said. ?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.? ?So it?s really starting to look like March 1st or March 6th, but my money would be on March 1st now for him.?

Clutch Points

One note on this:  the Mavs tickets have been out of whack all season.  It was the same thing when Flagg played at BC last year.  For whatever reason, Maine fans travel.  Heck, there was a huge contingent that made the trip to Dallas for our game there.

Yeah, that game is all Cooper Flagg effect.  That was, easily, the most requested game for my tickets season.  His only time in town. 

[keevsnick]

Given that we now know Tatum has started playing some five on five, I think that points to a fairly imminent return. Probably sometime between February 27th (1st home game after all-star break) and March 6th (last home game before weeklong road trip).

That said I don't think the March 1st 76ers game being flexed is proof of Tatum's return date. It's possible he comes back that day, and maybe part of the reason the game has been flexed is NBC is hoping he does, but I very much doubt they KNOW he is. It probably more about wanting a game between two teams actually trying (and in big markets). Tatum would be a bonus to that.

Tatum coming back that week would leave roughly twenty games for him to find his rhythm before the playoffs. I'd expect he sits back to back (only a few left anyway) and has a minute's limit

[Donoghus]

Given that we now know Tatum has started playing some five on five, I think that points to a fairly imminent return. Probably sometime between February 27th (1st home game after all-star break) and March 6th (last home game before weeklong road trip).

That said I don't think the March 1st 76ers game being flexed is proof of Tatum's return date. It's possible he comes back that day, and maybe part of the reason the game has been flexed is NBC is hoping he does, but I very much doubt they KNOW he is. It probably more about wanting a game between two teams actually trying (and in big markets). Tatum would be a bonus to that.

Tatum coming back that week would leave roughly twenty games for him to find his rhythm before the playoffs. I'd expect he sits back to back (only a few left anyway) and has a minute's limit

I agree that the flex isn't necessarily a smoking gun that he's coming back for that game.  It could very well be a programming decision by NBC to show a more marquee game in that time slot.  And Sixers/Celtics fits that to a T.

Upcoming home games.

2/27 - Brooklyn
3/1 - Sixers
3/4 - Charlotte
3/6 - Dallas
3/14 - Washington
3/16 -  Phoenix
3/18 - Golden State
3/22 - Minnesota
3/26 - Thunder
3/27 - Atlanta

Personally, I think it's going to be in later March but that's not based on anything but gut.  Do you ease him in with someone like Washington or you gonna throw him right into the fire with that GSW/MIN/OKC stretch? I have no idea how this will get hanlded.

[michigan adam]

Given that we now know Tatum has started playing some five on five, I think that points to a fairly imminent return. Probably sometime between February 27th (1st home game after all-star break) and March 6th (last home game before weeklong road trip).

That said I don't think the March 1st 76ers game being flexed is proof of Tatum's return date. It's possible he comes back that day, and maybe part of the reason the game has been flexed is NBC is hoping he does, but I very much doubt they KNOW he is. It probably more about wanting a game between two teams actually trying (and in big markets). Tatum would be a bonus to that.

Tatum coming back that week would leave roughly twenty games for him to find his rhythm before the playoffs. I'd expect he sits back to back (only a few left anyway) and has a minute's limit

Sox.
I think it is pretty clear that JT wants to come back this year or he wouldn't be playing 5v5. I think it's clear c's are ok with him coming back this year once he checks all of the boxes or they wouldn't let him play 5v5. I think the date is pretty soon or he wouldn't be playing 5v5.  That obviously is a big step. I bet his cardio is pretty [dang] close if he is to this point, but that obviously is not the same as basketball shape. I'd be curious how they handle/ ramp up his minutes. 4(1 per quarter) 3-5 minute stretches to start and slowly increase the duration of each or is he already ramped up more than that.  Start on bench or will he be ready to start right off? These are the primary questions IMHO, not will he be coming back. Short a setback, i think that ship has sailed.

[Phantom255x]

A March 1 return would be a glorious birthday present for me as well 

I do think it may be March 1 now, because if he were to return March 6 wouldn't they just keep the games as is and not flex it? March 6 is ESPN with Cooper Flagg up in New England again. That would have made more sense (or March 4 at home vs. CHA and the day after Tatum's birthday), but if NBC is flexing March 1 and also releasing a series on Tatum and his recovery, they must know.

[Silas]

A March 1 return would be a glorious birthday present for me as well 

I do think it may be March 1 now, because if he were to return March 6 wouldn't they just keep the games as is and not flex it? March 6 is ESPN with Cooper Flagg up in New England again. That would have made more sense (or March 4 at home vs. CHA and the day after Tatum's birthday), but if NBC is flexing March 1 and also releasing a series on Tatum and his recovery, they must know.

I'm leaning toward the 4th with the March 1 game used to talk about JTs return and get people excited.  We will see...

[boscel33]

March 1st, there's a reason they moved the time of that game from 6PM to 8PM primetime!

[RMO]

March 1st, there's a reason they moved the time of that game from 6PM to 8PM primetime!

I wonder about all the speculation on his return related to this one thing.  He's going to be on a heavy minutes restriction when he's back.  I don't know how much Tatum they're going to get and if it's worth making the change.

Not sure who said it but it could just be that the Celtics are much better than people thought when they made the schedule.  There's the Boston/Philly rivalry story along with it.  Dallas is now rebuilding and outside of Flagg doesn't really have much to appeal to the wider audience.

Though all signs seem to be pointing to him returning and it would probably be around that time so who knows.

[keevsnick]

Adam Himmelsbach of the Boston Globe in his notes threw a little cold water on the March 1st possibility, saying he does not think Tatum will be back by then.  He pointed out that March 16th and March 22nd are also NBC games.

Personally I don't think the TV schedule is a factor in Tatum's decision, he'll be ready when he's ready.

March 22nd is IMO the latest Tatum could come back and it still make sense. That would leave 12 games in the season, 10 he could play in removing back to backs. I think if he's going to play in the playoffs he needs at least that much time to re-integrate.

[Jiri Welsch]

I would be very surprised if the Celtics were in conversations with the NBA about Tatum's expected return date somehow coinciding with March 1st. All for the ratings of a regular season game.

Call me crazy, but things are probably much more "fluid" than that. Committing to a return 2+ weeks in advance seems irresponsible. What if he suffered a setback? What if he wanted to return sooner?

[dannyboy35]

  I still don?t think he comes back this year.