Jayson Tatum stood on the Auerbach Center court Wednesday afternoon wearing a black Celtics T-shirt and sweatpants. He flicked a white towel around as he spoke with teammates Derrick White and Luka Garza.
Tatum, who remains out indefinitely after rupturing his Achilles’ tendon last May, did not take part in the team’s practice, and he is unlikely to do so anytime soon. So, in the coming months, while he attacks his comeback with individual workouts, he will also seek ways to remain an integral part of this team, however that might look.
“I mean, he’s Jayson Tatum,” Baylor Scheierman said. “He’s one of the best players in the league. He’s been in the league for multiple years. He knows the ins and outs. So having his voice around, especially helping the younger guys and the new guys adapt and learn throughout the year, I think it will be huge for us.”
Tatum spent most of the summer rehabbing in Boston, so he has already spent more time around the team’s younger players than he would in a typical offseason. Scheierman said his presence has been impactful.
Advertisement
“He’s just helping create that environment we want here, and just helping us on a daily basis,” he said.
Added Sam Hauser: “He’s working his tail off. Ever since I’ve been in Boston he’s in early and the last one out. He’s doing everything he can to try to get back and play as soon as possible. … It’s been pretty inspiring to watch, and it makes you want to do more on the court when you’re seeing him put in all this extra work.”
Advertisement
Tatum is participating in team meetings and activities while also ramping up his individual work. Last week he completed a basketball training session for the first time since the injury and created a stir when he posted a video on his social media accounts showing him jogging and dribbling and shooting.
He said he was thrilled to be back on the court but also acknowledged that there is no substitute for completing a session with his teammates. It will be even harder when the real games begin, and he is on the bench in street clothes.
Still, he wants to find ways to help.
“This is new,” Tatum said. “I’m figuring it out as I go. Still very much a part of the team, being at practice and the games and things like that. Obviously, I won’t be able to participate at practice, so that’s going to be tough, but just being integrated and being around as much as I can while still rehabbing and getting myself right.”
On Monday, coach Joe Mazzulla talked about how important it was to support Tatum as he reached small milestones. He was there when Tatum took his first steps since the injury, when he ran for the first time, and when he fired up his first jump shots. He also joined Tatum in weightlifting sessions and sat with him while he received medical treatment.
When Mazzulla was asked Wednesday how he hoped to keep Tatum involved in the coming months, such as attending coaches’ meetings, he stressed that his main priority was preparing the players who are on the court.
Advertisement
But he said that Tatum remains an important presence, too, and that he would hold him accountable as a member of the team.
“Everyone has their own responsibility of leadership,” Mazzulla said. “He’s done it as a player, and he’s doing it now with his return and his presence. So, everyone just has to pick up the slack and lead in their own way.”
Adam Himmelsbach can be reached at adam.himmelsbach@globe.com. Follow him @adamhimmelsbach.