New York Knicks star Jalen Brunson believes the NBA is better when Jayson Tatum is playing. Speaking to reporters on Wednesday, Brunson said the NBA "needs Jayson Tatum" in the wake of the Boston Celtics star undergoing surgery to repair a ruptured Achilles suffered in the Knicks' win in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference semifinals.

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

Jayson Tatum's torn Achilles tendon, without hyperbole, is among the most consequential injuries in NBA history. Kevin Durant comes to mind as a similarly gifted player to suffer such an injury, but he was almost 31 when he went down in the 2019 NBA Finals.