Evan Turner Drops Bold Celtics Prediction After Jayson Tatum's Return

"Yeah, so I think with both of them [Tatum and Brown] healthy and how they're doing, I really think they're going to win the Eastern Conference Finals," Turner said in an exclusive interview with Athlon Sports, via SportsbookReview.com providing top betting sites reviews.        

Turner previously served as an assistant coach for the Celtics from 2020 to 2021. While some might think he's biased toward Boston, his opinion comes from the fact that the Celtics have a deep lineup and a reliable player in Tatum, even if he's not yet at 100%.

"I said this the other day on a show with Chris Mannix for Sports Illustrated. I was like, 'Hey, at the very least, I believe that Jayson Tatum is a prime Khris Middleton.' And that's like, who's a prime Khris Middleton? And Chris is like somebody good enough to help you win a championship. And I'm like, 'My point exactly.'"

He added, "So we're not asking Jayson to average 30. We're not asking him to do that right away. He can average 20, but in big games and big moments, [you] allow him to be who Jason is."

Tatum is averaging 20.7 points, 8.5 rebounds, 4.0 assists and 1.2 steals per game this campaign. On the other hand, Brown is putting up 28.5 points, 7.0 rebounds, 5.1 assists and 1.0 steals.

Considering how well the Celtics are playing and with their top two players performing at a high level, it's not hard to see them competing for the championship once again as Turner stated.

For what it's worth, the Celtics currently have the second-best odds to win the Larry O'Brien Trophy at +550, only behind the Oklahoma City Thunder (+135).