Rumbles that Tatum might be able to play again much sooner than a calendar year give or take a month have begun to percolate.

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.

A week ago, a Celtics dynasty was plausible. They were -900 favorites against the New York Knicks before their second-round series began. That number is +400 on Caesars after Tatum's injury news. Just by virtue of playing in the Eastern Conference,