Boston Celtics star Jayson Tatum made his on-court return on Friday night after tearing his Achilles 10 months ago and, for the most part, looks like the same player he was before. The one-time NBA champion is quickly proving that it's possible to bounce back from this, which is exactly what Tyrese Haliburton needs to remember ahead of his eventual return for the Indiana Pacers.
In two games since coming back, Tatum has averaged 17.5 points, 7.5 rebounds, and 4.5 assists in 27 minutes. This includes a 15-point, 12-rebound double-double in his return game against the Dallas Mavericks.
It's likely going to take a bit longer for Tatum to fully get back to his pre-injury self, but the early returns are as promising as can be. And as Haliburton continues to recover from an Achilles injury of his own, he and the Pacers will hope to repeat that same success.
Jayson Tatum's return is great news for Tyrese Haliburton
Just because Tatum is looking good so far doesn't immediately mean Haliburton will look just as good at the same stage, but there are reasons to believe he could. Or at the very least, it won't be much longer before he finds his groove.
Both players are in their 20s and have better odds anyway of reverting to their pre-injury forms than players in their 30s do. But even beyond Tatum, players like Dejounte Murray (who is averaging 16 points, 5.3 rebounds, 5.3 assists, and 1.8 steals in six games this season) and former teammate Isaiah Jackson bounced back from their Achilles injuries and look as solid as they did before.
Additionally, Tatum only took 10 months off before returning to live NBA action. By the time Haliburton makes his return, it will be closer to 16 months, which should be incredibly helpful as he gets more time to rest, recover, and ease back into everything.
Regardless, there are more reasons to be optimistic about Haliburton's return now than there were even before the season started, and Tatum is the most recent and biggest example of what could go right.
This season has been a struggle for Indiana without its star guard, but the team has a good chance to re-enter the title picture next season upon his return. And if Tatum's return is any indication, then Haliburton and the Pacers could be in an even better position than many expected them to be in next season and beyond.