Celtics' postseason is off to a rocky start

Health is the biggest swing factor in the NBA playoffs. Even the most talented teams can fall short if their primary rotation is dealing with injury issues. Unfortunately for the Boston Celtics, that may be a realization they have to deal with in the coming weeks. 

Heading into the postseason, Jaylen Brown's knee problems were (and remain) a concern. The All-Star forward is dealing with a bone bruise. The injury has sapped him of his explosiveness, burst and lateral quickness. He looks like a shadow of the player who terrorized teams on both sides of the floor last season.

Then, in Game 1 of Boston's opening-round series against the Orlando Magic, Jayson Tatum got hurt when going for a dunk. According to a Tuesday report from ESPN's Shams Charania, Tatum suffered a bone bruise to his shooting wrist. 

"Sources tell me that Jayson Tatum underwent an MRI on that right wrist," Charania said. "...He has been diagnosed with a bone bruise in his shooting wrist. It's believed to be a pain tolerance injury. It's something the Celtics will be managing day-to-day...That injury might be something that lingers a little bit."

The Celtics have since downgraded Tatum to "doubtful" on their injury report ahead of Game 2 on Wednesday. 

Interestingly, the Celtics have lost to the Magic twice this season. Tatum was absent from the rotation in both of those games. What's worse is that even without Tatum, Brown isn't at the level to lead the Celtics as a primary scorer. His injury is hampering his ability to be a top-tier star. As such, additional pressure will fall onto the injury-prone Kristaps Porzingis and aging Jrue Holiday. 

No championship run is without adversity. And while there's still a significant chance the Celtics can get back to full health before it's too late, it's certainly fair to say that their chances of securing a second straight title have taken a knock. Boston can still bounce back from these setbacks, but for right now, the path to another championship is looking increasingly treacherous.