The NBA Atlantic Division has had some major volatility over the last few days. On the positive side, the Raptors got Pascal Siakam back from shoulder injury and he made his season debut with a solid effort of 15 points in 25 minutes to suggest that he'll get up to speed quickly. On the unfortunate side, though, both the 76ers and the Celtics have lost core players to illness and injury.
In Philadelphia, Joel Embiid joins Tobias Harris, Matisse Thybulle and Isaiah Joe in the NBA health and safety protocols after testing positive for COVID-19. With the continued absence of Ben Simmons and Danny Green battling a nagging hamstring injury, the 76ers could be extremely short-handed for some or most of the next week or two. For the Celtics, Jaylen Brown is expected to miss 1-to-2 weeks with a strained right hamstring.