Brad Stevens explains the “no pressure” approach to Jayson Tatum’s return from injury

Brad Stevens Boston explained The Celtics’ approach to having Jayson Tatum stay on track with the recovery process during the 2025-26 season.

Tatum is rehabbing a torn Achilles, which he tore in Game 4 of the East Semis against the New York Knicks. He underwent a successful operation, making significant progress as he was able to return towards the end of the campaign.

Stevens spoke to the media on Friday about the current state of the Celtics after the Feb. 5 trade deadline. The team president and general manager also discussed Tatum, where he revealed he exists no superstar rush back and forth. Still, he sent a clear message to Tatum about his importance to the franchise.

“Obviously, any team with Jayson Tatum is going to be better,” Stevens said Friday, via ESPN . “If he needs it, I’ll tell him every day. Because any team – all 30 of us – would be so much better with him on the team.”

“Those are just things that go through everybody’s mind. In all our conversations, he’s confident that he can improve the team… He’s crossed a lot of thresholds, he’s working harder and harder and he’s going to keep working harder and harder. There’s no pressure from us. But there’s also not going to be any of us saying, why don’t you take another week, right?” Will be: When he’s ready, he’s ready.

What’s next for Jayson Tatum, Celtics

It’s clear that Brad Stevens and the Celtics will continue to take good care of Jayson Tatum as he goes through the final stages of his recovery.

The Celtics were expected to have a down season due to Tatum’s injury and to change their roster during the 2025 offseason. However, they negated many doubts as they remained firmly in the playoff race. Not only that, but they could have a fighting chance to compete for the championship.

Boston boasts a 34-18 record on the season, holding second place in the Eastern Conference standings. They are ahead of the New York Knicks by one game and the Cleveland Cavaliers by three games. However, they trail the Detroit Pistons by 4.5 games.

With five straight wins, the Celtics will be looking forward to their next game. They are at home when they host the Knicks on February 8th at 12:30pm ET.