Inside The Celtics

Jayson Tatum Discusses His Return to a Celtics Team Nearing Full Strength

Jayson Tatum is one of three Celtics who returned to practice on Tuesday. He will likely return on Wednesday against the Spurs.

Bobby Krivitsky

Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports

The Boston Celtics' roster is on the verge of being whole again. Jayson Tatum and Enes Freedom returned to practice on Tuesday after spending time in health and safety protocols. Aaron Nesmith is the only Celtics player still in there.

Robert Williams also participated in Tuesday's practice after missing Sunday's win against the Orlando Magic due to a sprained right big toe.

Speaking with the media after practice, Tatum said that when he tested positive, naturally, he thought about when he dealt with Covid-19 last year. The virus' effects on his respiratory system required him to use an inhaler for the remainder of the 2020-21 season. Thankfully, this time around, after a few days of practice, Tatum said his body "Feels a lot better."

After a four-game absence in which the Celtics went 2-2, Tatum will likely play on Wednesday against the San Antonio Spurs. When speaking about the 23-year-old All-Star's return, Ime Udoka said: “We can settle him back into a rotation … we don’t have to have him play as long of stretches or as many minutes … he’s had 2-3 extra sessions, and he’s looking good.”

Tatum also spoke about fellow All-Star, Jaylen Brown, scoring a career-high 50 points, leading Boston to a come-from-behind victory against the Magic on Sunday: "Him playing the way he did, especially late … just figuring out a way to win. That was a big win for us.”

With the Celtics' decision not to retain Joe Johnson after his second 10-day contract expired, Tatum also discussed his appreciation for having Iso Joe as a teammate, as brief as it was.

“We enjoyed the time he was here … the ultimate professional and someone we all looked up to … I guess it was less about him and more about some business and technical things … we all would’ve loved to have had him stay around … we still keep in contact.”

But now that the team is getting closer to full strength, Tatum hopes the Celtics, who are ninth in the Eastern Conference, can stay healthy and climb in the standings, expressing that: “Hopefully this next stretch, guys can stay on the court, and we can have a nice run.” That starts with protecting home court against the Spurs on Wednesday.

Tip-off between Boston and San Antonio is at 7:30 EST. Inside The Celtics will have content related to the game coming out before, during, and after. And follow @BobbyKrivitsky on Twitter for updates and analysis from pregame to post.

Further Reading

What Stood Out from Celtics' Come from Behind Win Over Magic

In More Ways Than One, the Celtics are in Need of a Shakeup

What Stood Out in Celtics' Victory Over Suns: Pace, Energy Fuel Boston's Best Win of the Season

Should the Celtics Trade for Buddy Hield?

Jayson Tatum Makes a Major Announcement

The Latest On Dennis Schroder's Future with the Celtics

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Bobby Krivitsky
BOBBY KRIVITSKY

Bobby Krivitsky's experiences include covering the NBA as a credentialed reporter for Basketball Insiders. He's also a national sports talk host for SportsMap Radio, a network airing on 96 radio stations throughout the country. Additionally, he was a major-market host, update anchor, and producer for IMG Audio, and he worked for Bleacher Report as an NFL and NBA columnist.

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