The Boston Celtics dropped from No. 4 to No. 5 in Bleacher Report’s newest NBA power rankings released Friday. BR’s Andy Bailey provided some context to Boston’s new positioning.
“The Boston Celtics smashing expectations without Jayson Tatum has been one of this season’s best and most surprising stories,” Bailey wrote. “And for the last few weeks, it’s been buoyed by the idea that Tatum might be back in time for a playoff run. Tatum and the organization itself lent credibility to that idea by recently having him work out in front of media.”
“But on Wednesday, NBA on Prime’s Chris Haynes reported that Tatum is actually considering sitting out the entire season to complete his recovery from a ruptured Achilles,” Bailey continued. “That, in combination with the fact that Boston is 6-6 in its last 12 and Derrick White is shooting 25.7 percent from three since Christmas, has finally put a bit of a damper on this Celtics season.”
“The team is still significantly better than anyone anticipated,” Bailey added. “And the door isn’t entirely closed on a Tatum return. We may just have to recalibrate our thinking on Boston’s title chances a bit.”
The Celtics will take on the Sacramento Kings on Friday night. Jaylen Brown has been ruled out due to hamstring tightness and a knee contusion.
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Featured image via Rick Osentoski/Imagn Images
