When Jayson Tatum initially went down with what was confirmed to be an Achilles injury, no one would have blamed him for taking the year off altogether. It became evident pretty quickly that was not going to be the case. Somehow, for Cleveland Cavaliers fans, that is not the most surprising part of this story.
Injury Report for tomorrow vs. DAL:
— Boston Celtics (@celtics) March 5, 2026
Jayson Tatum - Right Achilles Repair - QUESTIONABLE
Make no mistake about it, hearing reports that Tatum is expected to debut on Friday against the Dallas Mavericks is wowing. It would mark one of the quickest turnarounds for an on-court return after an Achilles injury. Shams Charania had the scoop on the looming moment.
"Sources tell me that Jayson Tatum has been fully cleared to play this season," Charania said on SportsCenter. "... In the last 24 hours, Tatum has been described to me as ready to go. He's checked all the boxes."
The part of this that comes extra shocking for Cavaliers fans is Tatum, barring a massive change in plans, will step on an NBA court in 2025-26 before Max Strus does. Given the injuries both players were dealing with, and what the expectations were, no one can really blame Clevelanders for feeling that way.
Jayson Tatum will somehow play before Max Strus does this season
Just to be clear, this is not any sort of slight at Strus. Injury setbacks certainly happen and the Cavaliers sharpshooter has been pushed back in his process as a result. When that is the case, extra caution is always the way to go with any player.
There is just a certain jaw-dropping nature to all of this considering Strus was initially projected to return around January in the latest of prognosis for his Jones fracture. Meanwhile, Tatum did not even figure into many people's plans for the season. And yet, here we are.
Tatum will not be expected to be the borderline superstar player he was before the injury upon arrival. The Boston Celtics forward should be afforded the safe space to ramp up as his body can keep up. Boston has been great without him this year. Anything Tatum can offer will push the Celtics closer to being the East favorite that a ton of analysts are projecting them to be.
That is where the Cavaliers will hope Strus can help them.
Naturally, their veteran wing will not be the type of game-changer that Tatum is. However, considering how impressive they have looked after the James Harden trade, the hope is a returning Strus can be the final cherry on top for their contender status. The Cavs fan favorite can solidify the confidence in the building.