Celtics Injury News: Marcus Smart Nearing Return
When will Boston Celtics rookie Marcus Smart return from his ankle injury?
The latest Boston Celtics injury news is good news — for once. Rookie point guard Marcus Smart has been out since November 7th, when he suffered what looked to be a gruesome ankle injury against the Indiana Pacers. Luckily it turned out to be a severe sprain and Smart is on pace for the original return of 2-3 weeks, according to Chris Forsberg of ESPNBoston.com.
That would mean Smart could get back to the Celtics as early as next week — perhaps after the four-day Thanksgiving break — for a game at home against the Chicago Bulls on Black Friday. Coach Brad Stevens kept the door open, though he sounded pessimistic about an earlier return:
"I think there is the potential that he could be back as early as early next week. I, personally, think Sunday would be stretching it. I don’t know that. But then, I think he could be back [on the floor] once we have that four-day break."
Smart is back participating in light drills but he hasn’t been able to go through the full practices. Once he does come back, it’s going to be a major boon for a Celtics defense that has allowed 107.5 points per game — good for 28th in the NBA. The C’s aren’t strong in the middle — as evidenced by the fact that Jeff Green leads the team with eight blocks — which is why they need to depend on strong perimeter defense. Smart brings that in spades.
Though he struggled offensively through the first five games (shot just 30.6 percent), Smart did accumulate six steals and was infectious with his intensity. A three-guard lineup of Rajon Rondo, Avery Bradley and Smart would be undersized, but they’d create havoc in the open court and would make simple tasks such as bringing the ball up court a real difficulty.
With recent news that Danny Ainge officially (though we’ve heard that before) wants to hold onto Rondo, this is going to be a glimpse into the future for Celtics fans. If the frontcourt can do their part — and Jared Sullinger, Kelly Olynyk and Jeff Green have been — the Celtics will be closer to a playoff berth sooner than anyone had imagined.