Title: Atlantic Roundtable: Debating Siakam, Simmons and Tatum as next East stars Pt. 1
Date: May 21, 2020
Original Source: The Athletic
Synopsis: In my latest for The Athletic Toronto, I connected with 76ers and Celtics beat writers to discuss how Pascal Siakam, Ben Simmons and Jayston Tatum will shape the future of the Eastern Conference.
At some point, we will have the NBA back. Pascal Siakam, Ben Simmons and Jayson Tatum figure to have a lot to say about how the Eastern Conference shakes out when we do.
If the league is able to finish the 2019-20 season, it’s possible – likely, even – that there will be multiple playoff series between Atlantic Division competitors. The Boston Celtics and Philadelphia 76ers would meet in the first round if the playoffs utilized the current standings, and the winner would meet the Toronto Raptors, assuming they beat the Brooklyn Nets. There is effectively an Atlantic side of the Eastern Conference bracket. The team emerging from that side would be likely to meet Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Milwaukee Bucks.
How the division’s three star wings stack up against one another, as individuals and foundational building blocks, will shape the immediate and longer-term future of the conference. Beat writers Blake Murphy (Raptors), Mike O’Connor (76ers) and Jared Weiss (Celtics) got together to discuss how those three compare.
Blake Murphy Sports Writing 