Why There’s Reason To Believe Celtics Won’t Mirror Past ‘Big Three’ Era
Will this Boston era be one-and-done NBA champions?
The Celtics were poised to defend their title until one of their star players suffered a serious injury. Does that remind you of anyone?
Jayson Tatum’s Achilles injury reminded Boston fans of when Kevin Garnett suffered a torn ACL in the 2009 Eastern Conference semifinals. The C’s made the 2010 NBA Finals, but Kendrick Perkins’ knee injury was a key factor in them losing to the Los Angeles Lakers. The Celtics never made it close to the mountaintop again.
That fear clouded fans’ minds, fearing that the 2020s era of the franchise would amount to one championship.
NESN’s George Balekji and Adam Pellerin discussed the parallels of the teams on the latest “Hold My Banner” and how Tatum’s injury could be the end of an era. Pellerin was optimistic and noted that while Garnett, Paul Pierce, and Ray Allen were in their early 30s, they were also on the last legs of their career. The hope is that Tatum can come back and maintain his All-NBA production similar to what Kevin Durant did.
What wasn’t disputed was that the Celtics were going to look different. However, Jaylen Brown and Tatum should remain the core of the team. If that duo can remain a threat, Boston might not face a lull period like it did immediately after its blockbuster trade with the Brooklyn Nets.
You can listen to more of “Hold My Banner” on YouTube or Spotify.
