The Boston Celtics have torn things down this offseason, but there’s a chance it could be a mistake.
Entering the postseason, the Celtics were expected to be back in the NBA Finals for the third time in four seasons. Instead, Boston was upset in the second round and Jayson Tatum suffered a torn Achilles, derailing Boston’s repeat hopes.
Considering Tatum was immediately expected to miss all of next season, the Celtics chose to tear down their championship roster. With the second apron looming over their heads, the Celtics simply needed to help their financial situation, sending Jrue Holiday and Kristaps Porzingis out in trades and allowing Luke Kornet and Al Horford to walk in free agency.
Of course, Tatum’s injury and Boston’s expected move away from contending made all of these changes understandable, but Celtics president Rich Gotham recently made some interesting comments about Tatum’s return.
“What I know about [Tatum] is he’s gonna do everything he can to put us in a position to make a decision,” Gotham said. “He’s gonna work hard to get back as soon as he can, and we’ll see how soon that is. But for right now, we’re not really looking at timetables.”
Gotham’s statement didn’t exactly leave any extra optimism about Tatum’s situation, but it gave room for a bit of intrigue. Tatum still seems likely to miss all of next season at this point, and if the Celtics aren’t near title contention, a Tatum return in March or later simply seems pointless.
In any case, it will be a welcome sight whenever Tatum can get back on the floor and help the Celtics win games again.