The Philadelphia 76ers have struggled — and disappointed — as of late, losing three of their last four games after an impressive stretch where they won five of their six contests. As such, they probably should be worrying about themselves first before being extra mindful of what is going on with the other teams.
However, when it is your biggest rival which is angling up to make a big splash, batting an eye makes a lot of sense. According to the latest trade rumors, the Celtics are looking to upgrade their frontcourt and have zoomed in on Grizzlies All-Star big man Jaren Jackson Jr. as a trade target. Now, that is a scenario which the 76ers should prefer to not come to fruition.
Despite losing Jayson Tatum to a torn Achilles, Boston has badly outplayed expectations, sitting pretty at second place in the Eastern Conference with an impressive 26-15 win-loss card. With their best player expected to come back this season in some capacity, landing Jackson would only make them an even tougher team to crack for Philly.
The 76ers better hope that the Celtics don’t trade for Jaren Jackson Jr.
Even if the 76ers do rise up in the standings, they cannot possibly expect to just breeze through a milder competition in the East (at least when compared to the West). The Celtics are a big reason why, and the fact that they have barely missed a beat without their best player and despite the exodus of three of their most important players from last season is a testament to just how lethal they can be.
Philadelphia has lost 11 of their last 16 outings against Boston, so it is apparent that the Celtics have had their number in recent years. Adding someone like Jackson, who is a former Defensive Player of the Year awardee, would only reinforce the C’s and mitigate one of their more glaring disadvantages against Joel Embiid and the 76ers.
Sure, it would be refreshing to see a proven talent from the West move to the East to get some more parity between conferences, but the 76ers should prefer a more spread-out distribution of wealth instead of making the rich even richer by him going to the Celtics, which remain undeniable contenders despite the absence of an elite talent like Tatum.
The Philadelphia 76ers have big plans for this season, but of course, there are external factors that could make things more difficult for them in the playoffs. That is precisely why they should root for the Grizzlies not to yield to the Celtics if their interest on Jaren Jackson Jr. intensifies.
Heck, if anything, it is the 76ers which need improving.