It has been nearly a month since Jayson Tatum returned from a torn Achilles tendon he suffered 298 days prior.
Through 11 games, Tatum’s scoring numbers are not what Boston Celtics fans are used to seeing as the six-time All-Star ramps up his workload. The 2024 NBA Champions’ points per game have fallen from 26.8 in the 2024-25 season to 20.9 in 2026— a 22% decrease.
Tatum’s field goal percentage (40%) and 3-point percentage (32%) are both at career lows, but the St. Louis native showed signs of his old self in his final game of March.
Tatum scored a season-high 32 points in a road win against the Charlotte Hornets while shooting over 50%, helping him earn Eastern Conference Player of the Week honors.
To project what Tatum may look like in the playoffs, it is helpful to examine how other stars have performed after returning from a torn Achilles.
Similar Superstars Post-Achilles Return
The issue is that there are few comparable cases.
Superstars who have suffered torn Achilles injuries include Dominique Wilkins, Kobe Bryant, DeMarcus Cousins and Kevin Durant.
Durant did not see a statistical drop-off after returning, but he did not play for 552 days, which is 254 more recovery days than Tatum.
Bryant returned 240 days after his injury but played only six games before a season-ending knee injury.
Cousins had 357 days to recover, but returned in a different environment. Before the injury, he was a focal point on the New Orleans Pelicans, averaging 25.2 points and 12.9 rebounds per game.
When Cousins returned, he was on a Golden State Warriors team with four All-Stars, which helped his scoring drop to 16.3 points per game.
Wilkins returned from a torn Achilles in 283 days in 1992 and averaged 29.9 points per game, one of the most remarkable recoveries in NBA history.
However, it is difficult to compare the Hall of Famer to Tatum, as he was the only 20-point-per-game scorer on a team that routinely made first-round exits.
In 2026, Dejounte Murray posted similar numbers after missing more than a year, but he is on a Pelicans team not competing for a playoff spot.
Jayson Tatum Lays the Blueprint
There has never been a superstar who returned from a torn Achilles this quickly and competed for a championship in the same season as a top option.
It makes it extremely difficult to estimate what Tatum’s statistics could look like in the playoffs.
It is inevitable for a superstar in the future to suffer a torn Achilles, but once the 2025-26 season ends, those players could look at Tatum as the blueprint.
Stars such as Damian Lillard and Tyrese Haliburton, who are both expected to return in the 2026-27 season from their Achilles injuries, will have more time off and less pressure than Tatum, but fans could set realistic expectations based on how the Celtics forward performs in the playoffs.
If Jayson Tatum shines under the bright lights of the playoffs, it could forever change what people expect from players recovering from a once career-altering injury.
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