Boston Celtics: Where is Daniel Theis at in his recovery?
Daniel Theis was one of many Boston Celtics that was injured during the 2017-18 season. Where is he at right now in his recovery?
The Boston Celtics arguably had the most injuries last season than any other team. Injuries are something every team will have to deal with as the season moves along. One player that gets sort of lost in the mix of all those injuries was forward Daniel Theis.
Theis was having himself a fairly good first season — filling in nicely as a backup player. Not being your traditional rookie, Theis entered the NBA at 25 years of age – now 26. Before the NBA, he was playing professionally overseas.
His experience allowed him to come in the NBA and succeed. That is, if it wasn’t for a torn meniscus injury in his left knee. It was an unfortunate injury to see no matter who you cheer for.
While he’s not necessarily a huge part to what the Celtics do, he was still a good presence on the bench.
He played in 63 games and started in three of those last season. He also averaged 5.3 points, 4.3 rebounds, 0.9 assists and 0.8 blocks. For a bench that was depleted and facing injuries, the Celtics could have used those numbers.
Before going down with an injury he was starting to figure things out. He averaged 7.4 points in February and 6.3 in January. He even had a career high 19 points on Feb. 23 against the Detroit Pistons.
The signs were encouraging of his progress and the hope is that he can contribute like he did for the 2018-19 season. But, where is he at in his rehab process? Celtics reporter Chris Forsberg of ESPN caught up with Theis and reported that he plans to be 100 percent by training camp.
Daniel Theis said he plans to be 100 percent by training camp. Theis on his rehab: "I have started sprinting and jump shots and my knee has never reacted badly.” He’s hoping to resume 1-on-1 work soon.
— Chris Forsberg (@ChrisForsberg_) August 8, 2018
It’s still unknown when he will be able to particiate in contact practice or 1-on-1 drills. However, knowing that he is able to shoot jump shots and run without any issues is an encouraging sign. Training camp is set to start sometime late September.
The Celtics first preseason game is on Sept. 28 against the Charlotte Hornets. Their first regular season game is against the Philadelphia 76ers on Oct. 16.
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It’s still unknown when he will be able to participate in games, but hearing those encouraging words should suffice enough for Boston fans.
The forward position is the Celtics biggest issue in terms of depth. Now that everyone is healthy, it’s likely that their starting lineup will be Kyrie Irving–Jaylen Brown–Gordon Hayward–Jayson Tatum–Al Horford.
That leaves Marcus Morris, Aron Baynes, Robert Williams, Guerschon Yabusele and Semi Ojeleye on the bench that could possibly fill the four or five spot. Teams are now starting to go with small ball lineups to match up with their opponents.
So, it’s likely that Theis could play center if they wanted to run a small lineup.
Until then those are the players that will be competing for the backup position. Yabusele, Williams and Ojeleye are all contenders to play in the G League.
Brad Stevens is yet to shine some light as to what he’s looking to do with lineups, but did make a comment on possible ideas on a podcast with Chris Mannix.
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With all of this in mind, it’s good to take this one step at a time and know that another Celtic is moving in the right direction in their rehab. Here’s to a healthy Boston season.