While the injury shouldn't derail Tatum's career, it does give the Celtics a major obstacle to overcome. Boston has been to the conference finals five times and has had a pair of NBA Finals appearances—including a win last year—since 2017. Much of that success, especially over the past five or so years, has been largely due to Tatum.

Bill Simmons had an expected reaction to Jayson Tatum’s achilles injury in Game 4 of the Celtics-Knicks series.

If one event can dramatically alter even the most sustainable team-building strategy, is it even possible to maintain a championship window?