Robb: Celtics Are Staying Cautious With Marcus Smart's Recovery
BOSTON (CBS) – The Boston Celtics desperately need rookie guard Marcus Smart back in the lineup, especially to help turn around their defensive struggles. The team was hoping to have the pesky defender, who has missed the past couple weeks due to a sprained left ankle and bone bruise, back for Friday's game against the Chicago Bulls.
The wait will have to be a bit longer though, as the team announced Thursday that Smart would miss the Friday afternoon matinee against Chicago, despite returning to the practice floor on Wednesday.
Smart's return to the practice floor was not a complete success on Wednesday, which helps explain the team's cautiousness with the no. 6 overall draft pick. The 21-year-old guard took part in the first portion of the workout, but pulled himself out of the final half of the session featuring team drills and scrimmaging.
Celtics PR said Smart did not experience a setback during the session, but it's hard to envision the young guard being ready to go for game action after playing in just half a practice session since suffering the injury.
Brad Stevens spoke about the need for Smart to be close to 100 percent, before he returns to the hardwood.
"I think, obviously, you want him to be as close to pre-injury [condition] as possible, otherwise, he shouldn't be a full go," Stevens said before Wednesday's practice. "Is there a transition period? Absolutely. But sometimes in those first couple days, you're so excited to be back out that you actually play pretty darn well. So it's just a matter of him getting back out here. It's more about the conditioning than anything else right now, just because he hasn't done anything on the court, physically as far as 5-on-5 in the last three weeks."
The fact that Smart is even on the verge of a return is somewhat of a blessing for the Celtics, given how bad Smart's injury appeared to be at first glance back on Nov. 7 against the Indiana Pacers. Smart was carted off the floor by team doctors at the time and spent several minutes down on the ground in severe pain as teammates watched nervously.
Smart's teammates talked about how much they look forward to having the youngster back at Wednesday's practice.
"It helps not only me, but it helps our team out," fellow guard Avery Bradley said. "He brings that intensity on the defensive end and the offensive end. He brings a lot to our team and we're excited to have him back on the floor with us."
Rookies all around the league have experienced bad luck with injuries during the 2014-15 season with Julius Randle (out for season), Joel Embiid (out for season), and Aaron Gordon (out indefinitely after foot surgery) all among the victims.
As much as the Celtics would love Smart back (the team is just 2-5 without him over the past three weeks) playing it safe with the rookie is the way to go, to best ensure that the durable rookie has no additional ankle setbacks over the remainder of the season.
So as nice as it would be for Celtics fans to see Smart to face off against the likes of Derrick Rose and Tony Parker this weekend, fans should be thankful the team is playing it smart with their young guard.
Brian Robb covers the Celtics for CBS Boston and contributes to NBA.com, among other media outlets. You can follow him on Twitter @CelticsHub.
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