The Philadelphia 76ers just faced the Boston Celtics, their arch rivals, for the fourth and last time. But with Joel Embiid out of commission due to a strained oblique, the former did not stand a chance against the East’s second-best team. Yet despite both teams not having another regular season matchup, the Celtics are poised to stand in the 76ers’ way anew with this sudden development.
Longtime NBA analyst Bill Simmons recently inferred that Jayson Tatum is posed to make his return for Boston in their upcoming games against the Mavericks. Now, with the Celtics still having a wildly successful season without their second-best player (get off your Tatum vs Jaylen Brown debate elsewhere), they might just have what it takes to reclaim the East definitively.
And with the playoff picture in the East not ruling out a matchup between the 76ers and the Celtics, Philly should definitely zoom in on the situation with Tatum, who has been a thorn on their side in recent years and has already won a championship while the 76ers remain on the hunt for their first Conference Finals appearance in the Embiid era.
Jayson Tatum returning is bad news for the 76ers and the rest of the Eastern Conference
Thanks to a high-octane offense and a quietly suffocating defense, Boston has remained one of the best teams in the league. Adding Tatum into the fold will only make them even more lethal, especially in the postseason.
Now, no one knows how Tatum will look after his Achilles injury, which is widely considered the worst injury an NBA player could suffer. His explosiveness will definitely not be the same, but his shooting touch is probably still the same. That will be plenty enough for Boston for the meantime, especially since they need another player who can be counted on to consistently generate points.
The 76ers are currently the sixth seed in the East, while the Celtics are in second place. However, only 1.5 games separate them from the third-seeded Knicks. As such, there is a good chance that Philly ends up drawing Boston for their first-round matchup assuming they remain entrenched at No. 6.
As an NBA fan, the objective response to the rumor that Jayson Tatum is returning is one of relief. After all, he is one of the best players in the league. However, the 76ers should certainly feel threatened, as he has been the main cog behind the Celtics’ dominance over Philly in recent years.