Robb: Marcus Smart Inching Closer To Return To Celtics
BOSTON (CBS) -- The Celtics are already entering a brief holiday respite in high spirits thanks to a blowout win over the Charlotte Hornets on Wednesday night.
The team may be getting another boost in morale though shortly after the Christmas break due to the pending arrival of a healthy Marcus Smart.
The second-year point guard has already missed 17 straight games with a left leg injury, but resumed on-court activities last week as he attempts to ramp up his rehab regime.
Danny Ainge told Toucher and Rich earlier this month that Smart was targeting a return to game action sometime around the start of the New Year and the 21-year-old remains on track for that, according to head coach Brad Stevens.
"He did play some one-on-one at the end of practice," Stevens said Wednesday, according to the Boston Herald. "He has been cleared to do some one-on-one and some two-on-two. The hope would be that, as we start to get into next week, he can start to be cleared to do some five-on-five-type stuff."
The Celtics have gone 9-8 without the starting guard during the past month-plus, but plenty has changed for the team in the midst of that stretch. First and foremost, Isaiah Thomas has excelled in the starting lineup, averaging more than 20 points and six assists per game since taking over starting duties from Smart.
That development means Smart is more likely to play with the bench unit upon returning to action, at least out of the gate. Still, the addition of the versatile guard to the rotation once again should take some of the onus of Thomas and Avery Bradley in the backcourt. Both guards have averaged over 33 minutes per game since Smart went down.
"You can always get by without any one of your players for a little bit of a time, but it does catch up," Ainge said on the Sports Hub last week. "Isaiah and Avery's minutes have increased in Marcus' absence. Both have had great years, but we need Marcus. We need Marcus' defense and we need his versatility."
Evan Turner agrees with Ainge's assessment, even though Smart's return may take away some of his playing time on the wing.
"He'll definitely help because his intangibles are great," Turner said. "Certain games we've needed something defensively, somehow he ended up with a loose ball or a charge, or damn near a fight."
The biggest question that will follow Smart upon his return however is whether he can improve his offensive consistency. He's still bogged down with a 33 percent shooting from the field and 23 percent shooting from beyond the arc despite averaging 9.8 points per game.
With R.J. Hunter and Turner emerging as more consistent offensive options in recent weeks, Stevens will have to weigh the need for reliable offense from them and stellar defense from Smart.
Balancing those options is a good problem to have for Stevens in the interim as he tries to sort out a healthy roster for the first time in nearly two months. Ultimately, Smart may not be counted upon as much as he was last season, but he's enough of an asset defensively to help the Celtics push themselves further above .500 and back into the thick of the Eastern Conference playoff picture.
Brian Robb covers the Celtics for CBS Boston and contributes to NBA.com, among other media outlets. You can follow him on Twitter@CelticsHub.
