The Boston Celtics suffered a heartbreaking exit from the season after losing the round 2 playoff series against the New York Knicks. The defending champions were expected to have a deeper run, but losing Jayson Tatum at the most crucial juncture had a catastrophic effect. Moreover, even Jaylen Brown was not 100% fit ahead of the series. Brown was dealing with a partially torn meniscus since March.
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Celtics GM Brad Stevens on Jaylen Brown
Celtics' GM Brad Stevens addressed the media on Monday and spoke on the injury concerns related to the team's superstar duo. Stevens took Brown into perspective and stated that while he played through a knee injury, it seems he is at a good place with how it feels.
"Jaylen's a warrior. Jaylen takes great pride in being out there. And at the same time, he saw our team docs and a couple other people. And as he said a few weeks ago, the knee is in a good place," Stevens said on Monday.
It should be noted that there are assertions that state Jaylen Brown could move out of the franchise in the postseason. Thus, there exists a minute possibility that fans have already seen the last of Brown in the Celtics jersey.
Update on Jayson Tatum
When it comes to Jayson Tatum, he is not carrying unrealistic expectations.
"Super hard for Jayson more than anything... And I think even missing two games has been gruelling for him. We know that there's a long road ahead," Bobby Krivitsky reported on X.
Boston is expected to go through a transition period ahead of the start of the new season, with contract issues looming for several players and uncertainty surrounding the return of their franchise star. This sets up an offseason full of questions.
With a payroll that's well over the salary cap and the team exceeding the second apron, roster moves will have to take place to avoid future penalties.
It's been a sad fall-off for the Celtics in recent months, but with the right offseason moves, there is still some hope in Boston.