Mitchell Robinson Gives Raw Take on Celtics’ Jayson Tatum’s Injury Rehab

Despite Jayson Tatum being out of the rotation, the Boston Celtics kept their season alive on Wednesday, May 14. They defeated the New York Knicks to force a game six, and will now travel back to Madison Square Garden.

Losing Tatum to a right Achilles tendon tear is a hammer blow to Boston’s season. The All-NBA forward is expected to miss up to a years worth of a basketball as he recover from the catastrophic injury. One player who knows the hurdles that come with injury rehabilitation is Mitchell Robinson.

During his postgame news conference on Wednesday, Robinson detailed the journey Tatum faces to get back on the court.

“That s*** was long as hell,” Robinson said of his own recovery. “I mean, it’s a lot of emotions that go up and down. So, the hardest part is trying to stay afloat, trying to stay focused. You know, because you can’t really do too much when you’re injured and stuff like that. So, it’s just, it sucks.”

Tatum will undoubtedly be watching his teammates from afar, especially while they’re still fighting in the playoffs. Unfortunately for the Celtics, their superstar forward isn’t there to help propel them toward a second consecutive championship. As such, it’s hard to get a gauge on Boston’s current ceiling, or whether they’re capable of reversing the Knicks dominance in this series.

Jaylen Brown Stepped Into a Leading Role

Without Tatum, Jaylen Brown was tasked with leading Boston’s offense. He rose to the occasion, impressing on both sides of the ball. In 37 minutes of play, Brown ended the game with 26 points, 12 assists and 8 rebounds. He shot 52.9% from the field and 60% from deep.

When speaking to the media after Boston’s win, Brown detailed the mentality he had coming into the contest.

“Just be myself,” Brown said. “Come out, be aggressive, and get it done in multiple ways. It’s a team. We’ve always been a team. I’ve always preached team. I’ve done whatever to kind of push this team forward, so whatever is needed of me, I’m excited to be able to facilitate in whatever role. So it could change each game, each night, defensively, offensively. But the goal is to just lead, just be myself.”

Brown will now be tasked with leading the Celtics, both on the court and off, as Joe Mazzulla’s team looks to navigate some increasingly difficult circumstances.

Luke Kornet Was a Game Changer

During Wednesday’s win over the Knicks, multiple members of the Celtics roster produce a solid performance. However, it was third-string center Luke Kornet that helped change the flow of the game. The 7-foot big man produced seven blocked shots throughout the night.

Over the past 12-18 months, Kornet has also developed into a reliable short-roll creator, allowing him to pick apart defenses as they send help to take away his threat around the rim. Kornet’s presence, on both sides of the ball, was a huge boost to the Celtics, especially as Kristaps Porzingis continues to struggle for health.

Boston will need more performances like Kornet’s as they look to tie things up on Friday, May 16. After all, they’re still in a win-or-go-home situation.