Tatum Injury (Ruptured Achilles - Surgery Completed )

[Boston Garden Leprechaun]

Hard not to consider the implications of this. We got one championship, but we thought we had this year and next year to contend for a second. That's all gone now.

Can't imagine Horford comes back to a team that can't really compete for a championship next year. We definitely can't stay in the 2nd apron now, which likely means Jrue needs to be traded. While Zinger at his best can definitely help us win games without Tatum, he's proving to be unreliable and we only have him signed through next season. That means it may make sense to trade him too.

Next year becomes a developmental year for Brown and White's playmaking, while trying to develop Queta and a couple wings to be rotation guys, plus whatever we can get for Zinger and Jrue.

Get better soon Tatum. Your fans love you, and this is a major bummer for everyone.

one more time. listen closely

we shoulda been in FINALS in 2018. we blew it

we easily coulda won a title in 2022. go see why we did not
with IME we make finals again and have great shot to repeat or win.
win again in 2024 with IME
make finals again this year with IME. great shot to win again.

we have NO COACH. we are a rudderless ship.

[GreenEnvy]

Who says no to Giannis for Tatum? Cold to think about, but if C?s need to punt next season, how many changes can Brad make to get under the apron and actually rebuild?

If you pivot and try to do it with Giannis instead of Tatum which was literally unthinkable just a few hours ago, who says no? Tatum and picks/swaps?

Milwaukee get a year to tank without both Tatum and Dame, then gets a proven all-world talent on the right side of 30 (even if it?s after a repaired Achilles).

They can?t move Dame, and can?t compete without him. And no other player they can obtain is guaranteed top-5 like Tatum.

On the C?s side, you?d have to start making serious moves. Horford probably retires. KP goes searching for a cure. Brown is making bonkers money to still not be able to put the ball in the floor in the playoffs.

IDFK?. What a sad ending to this game. Tatum is the epitome of what?s right in this league. And for this to happen? Ugh.

[rocknrollforyoursoul]

I posted this in the game thread, but his injury might change Brad's calculus as to how he manages the Celtics cap next season. Assuming he is out for all of next season and part of 2026-27, surely it will affect our window with this team as currently constructed. We should still be competitive without him, but if he is out, and KP isn't getting any less injury prone with a year left on his deal, and Jrue isn't getting any younger, Brad might decide next season is the time to reset the luxury tax and retool the team for 2026-27.

I know we all hate JB right now because he had a bad game, but it's plausible that Brad might ship out KP and Jrue to get under the luxury tax, that would be $63m ($30m and $33m) and bring in some younger guys to try and open a new window with JT, JB, White and PP the year after. He could also trade out JB for someone else, but because we're over the second apron we have to either find someone of equal or lesser value since we can't aggregate trades.

It puts this loss and this series in perspective when you consider the long term impact on the team's composition.

As for everyone saying "let's tank", we still have a pretty big payroll even if we shipped some guys out - tanking with a $200m payroll isn't really something that an owner wants to hear, especially a new owner 

I think the window on this group is closed. Tatum likely done for 1.5 years, and he'll be really rusty when he comes back; KP is injury prone and now he's got some lingering illness; Al is old, Jrue is old ... that really leaves just Brown, White, and Pritchard, which is a good trio but hardly title contending. Presuming Brad keeps those three, maybe he can add a significant free agent or two over the next 2-4 years, and maybe Scheierman turns into a decent player, but I think the next window isn't opening until at least the '27-'28 season.

[Who]

Who says no to Giannis for Tatum? Cold to think about, but if C?s need to punt next season, how many changes can Brad make to get under the apron and actually rebuild?

If you pivot and try to do it with Giannis instead of Tatum which was literally unthinkable just a few hours ago, who says no? Tatum and picks/swaps?

Milwaukee get a year to tank without both Tatum and Dame, then gets a proven all-world talent on the right side of 30 (even if it?s after a repaired Achilles).

They can?t move Dame, and can?t compete without him. And no other player they can obtain is guaranteed top-5 like Tatum.

On the C?s side, you?d have to start making serious moves. Horford probably retires. KP goes searching for a cure. Brown is making bonkers money to still not be able to put the ball in the floor in the playoffs.

IDFK?. What a sad ending to this game. Tatum is the epitome of what?s right in this league. And for this to happen? Ugh.

Our team fits Giannis well

G: Jrue, Pritchard
G: D White
F: Jaylen, Hauser
F: Giannis
C: Porzingis, Horford

Others: Scheierman, Kornet

That is a nice looking team.

[SparzWizard]

Hard not to consider the implications of this. We got one championship, but we thought we had this year and next year to contend for a second. That's all gone now.

Can't imagine Horford comes back to a team that can't really compete for a championship next year. We definitely can't stay in the 2nd apron now, which likely means Jrue needs to be traded. While Zinger at his best can definitely help us win games without Tatum, he's proving to be unreliable and we only have him signed through next season. That means it may make sense to trade him too.

Next year becomes a developmental year for Brown and White's playmaking, while trying to develop Queta and a couple wings to be rotation guys, plus whatever we can get for Zinger and Jrue.

Get better soon Tatum. Your fans love you, and this is a major bummer for everyone.

one more time. listen closely

we shoulda been in FINALS in 2018. we blew it

we easily coulda won a title in 2022. go see why we did not
with IME we make finals again and have great shot to repeat or win.
win again in 2024 with IME
make finals again this year with IME. great shot to win again.

we have NO COACH. we are a rudderless ship.

Don't forget about the 2020 bubble. We had no business losing to the 5th seeded Heat. This series reminded me so much of that 2020 round. And 2023 Heat. They were just outlasted. And the Jays were pretty experienced in the postseason both times.

[ozgod]

Spare a thought for JT's son Deuce...had to watch his dad writhing in pain on the MSG floor for several minutes. Tough for a little kid.

[Yuckabuck33]

Who says no to Giannis for Tatum? Cold to think about, but if C?s need to punt next season, how many changes can Brad make to get under the apron and actually rebuild?

If you pivot and try to do it with Giannis instead of Tatum which was literally unthinkable just a few hours ago, who says no? Tatum and picks/swaps?

Milwaukee get a year to tank without both Tatum and Dame, then gets a proven all-world talent on the right side of 30 (even if it?s after a repaired Achilles).

They can?t move Dame, and can?t compete without him. And no other player they can obtain is guaranteed top-5 like Tatum.

On the C?s side, you?d have to start making serious moves. Horford probably retires. KP goes searching for a cure. Brown is making bonkers money to still not be able to put the ball in the floor in the playoffs.

IDFK?. What a sad ending to this game. Tatum is the epitome of what?s right in this league. And for this to happen? Ugh.

Our team fits Giannis well

G: Jrue, Pritchard
G: D White
F: Jaylen, Hauser
F: Giannis
C: Porzingis, Horford

Others: Scheierman, Kornet

That is a nice looking team.

God, I hope we don't go for Giannis. I couldn't take watching his lack of fundamentals and his 25 offensive fouls a game.

[SparzWizard]

Who says no to Giannis for Tatum? Cold to think about, but if C?s need to punt next season, how many changes can Brad make to get under the apron and actually rebuild?

If you pivot and try to do it with Giannis instead of Tatum which was literally unthinkable just a few hours ago, who says no? Tatum and picks/swaps?

Milwaukee get a year to tank without both Tatum and Dame, then gets a proven all-world talent on the right side of 30 (even if it?s after a repaired Achilles).

They can?t move Dame, and can?t compete without him. And no other player they can obtain is guaranteed top-5 like Tatum.

On the C?s side, you?d have to start making serious moves. Horford probably retires. KP goes searching for a cure. Brown is making bonkers money to still not be able to put the ball in the floor in the playoffs.

IDFK?. What a sad ending to this game. Tatum is the epitome of what?s right in this league. And for this to happen? Ugh.

Our team fits Giannis well

G: Jrue, Pritchard
G: D White
F: Jaylen, Hauser
F: Giannis
C: Porzingis, Horford

Others: Scheierman, Kornet

That is a nice looking team.

God, I hope we don't go for Giannis. I couldn't take watching his lack of fundamentals and his 25 offensive fouls a game.

Well, I sure won't be complaining if he's on our team drawing 25 offensive fouls from the opposing team.

[scaryjerry]

The trajectory of tatums career will never be the same, this era of Celtics basketball will likely never be the same, he will never win an mvp and this will likely be the last year he?s a first team all nba player?.its over

[cman88]

The trajectory of tatums career will never be the same, this era of Celtics basketball will likely never be the same, he will never win an mvp and this will likely be the last year he?s a first team all nba player?.its over

This is ridiculous and somewhat dramatic. Kevin Durant returned just fine. And he was much older.

[scaryjerry]

The trajectory of tatums career will never be the same, this era of Celtics basketball will likely never be the same, he will never win an mvp and this will likely be the last year he?s a first team all nba player?.its over

This is ridiculous and somewhat dramatic. Kevin Durant returned just fine. And he was much older.

.
1 player ever has done it, we are in the clear yall! Everything?s fine!
Tell me again what KD has done or won since this injury?

[ozgod]

Here are three wing players with their stats pre- and post-Achilles surgery:



For the record, KD suffered his at age 31 in 2019, Kobe at age 35 in 2013, and Dominique at age 31 (back in 1991). Dominique's is probably the most remarkable because his Achilles injury happened 34 years ago (presumably medical treatment for Achilles tears has improved since then) and he had his highest scoring average the year of his comeback. KD's personal production is virtually unchanged, while Kobe's diminished, but he was 35 years old when he tore his Achilles so he was already losing his explosiveness anyway.

It's never easy to recover from any type of serious injury so it's understandable that Scaryjerry, given he's a pessimist and very bearish on the Cs in general and Tatum in particular, would feel that Tatum has zero chance of being successful from now on and will be a useless waste of space and money. After all DeMarcus Cousins suffered two Achilles injuries and was never the same. But in Tatum's favor are a) he is young, at 27; b) he is in great physical condition; and c) his game relies more on his jumpshot than his driving to the basket (which we all complain about). But, we'll never know how he reacts to surgery and recovery until it actually happens, so debating what he will be like coming back is really a futile (although fun) exercise. But, that's what forums like this are for 

* disclaimer being that I don't actually know if Tatum has an Achilles injury

[Kernewek]

Brutal. Hoping for a swift & near-total recovery.

[celticinorlando]

The trajectory of tatums career will never be the same, this era of Celtics basketball will likely never be the same, he will never win an mvp and this will likely be the last year he?s a first team all nba player?.its over

Talk about jumping to conclusions...goodness.

[scaryjerry]

The trajectory of tatums career will never be the same, this era of Celtics basketball will likely never be the same, he will never win an mvp and this will likely be the last year he?s a first team all nba player?.its over

Talk about jumping to conclusions...goodness.

I guess I need to preface this with if it is what it looks to be and we all are assuming it is then I stand by my comment, we?ve seen the best of tatum?which wasn?t even good enough to beat the Knicks in round 2 this season?unless some miracle happens it?s all downhill from here