Iron man will be tired too! Tatum undergoes repair surgery for Achilles tendon rupture, and the Celtics road ahead of defending their title is bumpy

Qilu Evening News·Qilu One Point Feng Zihan

On May 14, the Boston Celtics officially announced that the star Tatum has successfully undergone a rupture repair surgery for right Achilles tendon. He has no clear return schedule yet, but he is expected to recover completely.

The official statement conveys good news, but everyone knows that major injuries such as rupture of the Achilles tendon are very unfriendly to athletes. Tatum will have a very long recovery period, and its recovery status is unknown. In the series G4 of the Eastern Conference semi-finals against the Knicks, Tatum fell to the ground in pain while trying to grab the ball in the fourth quarter, and was then helped off the court by the team doctor and left the stadium in a wheelchair early. Famous reporter Charania revealed that Tatum had surgery in New York because "the faster the Achilles tendon surgery, the better the recovery."

Since entering the league in 2017, Tatum has played in the total number of regular season and playoffs games, ranking first in the league, and has averaged more than 40 minutes of playing time in the playoffs for two consecutive years. His playoff career has played a total of 4,725 minutes. In NBA history, only Larry Bird and Horrice Grant have played more playoffs than Tatum in the first eight seasons of his career.

Not only has high attendance rates, Tatum's output is also very high. In the past two years of playoffs, his total score, total rebounds and total assists have been ranked first in the team.

Tatum, who doesn't look tired, is now time to have to rest.

This will be a fatal blow to the Celtics.

A month ago, the Celtics also achieved a brilliant record of 61 wins and were regarded as one of the favorites to win the championship. When they came to the Eastern Conference semi-finals of the playoffs, they were already behind the Knicks 1:3 in total, and their lives were hanging on the line. Now that they have lost the main player, the prospects of the Celtics are quite dim.

Tatum's accidental injury will also cause a chain reaction. According to people familiar with the matter, the Celtics originally planned to adjust the roster in the upcoming offseason, and Tatum's injury will create more possibilities this time. Currently, the Celtics are facing severe economic pressure. In the 2024-2025 season, the annual salary of the five starting players in the Celtics was above US$20 million. If the current roster is maintained, the Celtics may face up to $513 million in salary and luxury tax penalty next season.

If the management wants to "reduce costs and increase efficiency", many players in the team may be affected.

The experienced big brother Horford, whose 9.5 million contract will expire this summer, is almost 39 years old. Another "Master Huo" Holiday is almost 35 years old. If the Celtics consider changing a batch of younger and cheaper players, these two guys may be put on the shelves.