Why Jayson Tatum could benefit from longest real NBA offseason of career

BOSTON — It might feel like the sky is falling for the Boston Celtics. On Saturday night, they blew their first 3-1 series lead in franchise history after falling at home in Game 7 to the rival Philadelphia 76ers . Opportunities were squandered, open shots were missed, and Celtics star Jayson Tatum was sidelined for the first-round series finale due to untimely tightness behind his left knee.

However, nearly a year ago, the Celtics were undoubtedly in a tougher spot. Tatum had just ruptured his right Achilles and the C's were bounced from the Eastern Conference Semifinals by the New York Knicks a few days later. Boston was left reeling from the loss of the series and of its superstar, as nobody knew when Tatum would return to play.

At least this time around, the Celtics can plan on Tatum being ready to go for opening night in October. "I get a long offseason to really get back to 110 percent," Tatum said in his exit interview on Sunday afternoon. "I guess that's the silver lining of it all.

" Although Tatum suited up for the Green Team on March 6, which was practically unheard of in terms of recovery speed, it's clear that he wasn't fully himself yet. He showed flashes to start and really started to perform in the playoffs, averaging over 23 points per outing in six games against the Sixers. But, then his left leg reminded him that he's not superhuman after all, stiffening up in Game 6 and ultimately ruling him out for Game 7.