Boston Celtics Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Marcus Smart Undergoes Thumb Surgery

March 16th, 2018 at 4:26pm CST by Luke Adams

4:26pm: The Celtics announced in a press release that Smart underwent successful surgery to repair a torn ulnar collateral ligament in his right thumb. He is expected to return to basketball activities in six to eight weeks.

11:03am: The Celtics are hopeful that Smart will be able to play in six weeks, sources tell ESPN. That would put the veteran guard on track to return near the end of the first round of the playoffs, or for the start of the second round.

10:33am: After receiving a second opinion on his injured right thumb, Marcus Smart will undergo surgery to repair a torn ligament in that thumb, reports ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (Twitter links). An exact timeline for Smart’s recovery isn’t yet known, but there’s hope that he’ll be able to return sometime during the playoffs, according to Wojnarowski.

Smart, 24, has posted his usual mediocre offensive numbers for the Celtics this season, averaging 10.2 PPG and 4.8 APG on .367/.301/.729 shooting in 54 games. However, his play on the other end of the court has had a noticeable impact on Boston’s defense. The club has a 99.4 defensive rating with Smart on the court, and a 103.6 defensive rating when he sits.

Already expected to be without Gordon Hayward and Daniel Theis for the rest of the regular season and the playoffs, the Celtics would find themselves even more shorthanded if Smart is unable to return for the start of the postseason.

In that scenario, Kyrie Irving, Jaylen Brown and Terry Rozier would likely be leaned on more heavily in the Celtics’ backcourt. Of course, Irving and Brown are currently dealing with injuries of their own, opening the door for more minutes for players like Shane Larkin and Abdel Nader in the short term.

Smart suffered his thumb injury – initially ruled a sprain – during Sunday’s loss to the Pacers.

Daniel Theis Undergoes Season-Ending Surgery

March 15th, 2018 at 8:17pm CST by Luke Adams

MARCH 15: Theis underwent successful surgery to repair his left knee lateral meniscus, the Celtics announced in a press release on Thursday. He will miss the remainder of the 2017/18 season but is expected to be ready for training camp, per the release.

MARCH 12: The Celtics’ frontcourt depth will take a hit the rest of the way, according to Shams Charania of Yahoo Sports, who reports that Daniel Theis has suffered a torn meniscus in his left knee. Theis will undergo knee surgery and will miss the rest of the season, sources tell Charania.

Theis, who signed with the Celtics last summer as an international free agent, had turned into a reliable rotation piece in Boston. For the season, the German big man has averaged 5.3 PPG and 4.3 RPG in 63 games (14.9 MPG). However, it looks like he won’t take the court again for the 2017/18 Celtics.

With Theis sidelined, the C’s figure to lean a little more heavily on Aron Baynes and Greg Monroe behind starting center Al Horford. Theis also saw action at power forward, so his absence could mean a few extra minutes for Marcus Morris and/or Semi Ojeleye. Additionally, the club could play some smaller lineups with someone like Jayson Tatum at the four to lessen the load on the frontcourt, if necessary.

As for Theis, he likely hasn’t played his last game as a Celtic. The 25-year-old remains under contract for one more year, with a non-guaranteed salary of $1,378,242 for 2018/19. That’s a bargain price for a rotation player, so Theis’ roster spot for next season should be safe unless he’s included in an offseason trade.

Danny Ainge Discusses Hayward, Irving Injuries

March 15th, 2018 at 1:54pm CST by Luke Adams

Appearing today on Toucher & Rich on 98.5 The Sports Hub in Boston, Celtics president of basketball operations Danny Ainge said that Gordon Hayward is back on track in his recovery from ankle surgery after suffering a setback recently. “He had like one setback for a couple of weeks, maybe a month and a half ago. We were progressing a little bit too fast, we thought,” Ainge said, per ESPN’s Chris Forsberg. “But, other than that, his work ethic and his determination have been amazing. … I don’t want to get people’s hopes up. He still is not back on the basketball court and we have a month left in the regular season. He’s got a ways to go but we’re excited about his progress and his determination.”
During that same radio appearance, Ainge said that Kyrie Irving may need to undergo a surgical procedure on his knee at some point. However, the Celtics president made that surgery sound anything but urgent, writes Forsberg. “He has a surgery that may need to happen,” Ainge said of Irving. “But maybe not this summer, maybe the following summer or maybe the summer after that. I think that he could probably do it any time he wanted, but I’m not sure that it’s needed at this moment.”

Celtics Notes: Smart, Irving, Brown, Rozier, Theis

March 14th, 2018 at 5:53pm CST by Luke Adams

The Celtics continue to hold their breath as they wait for Marcus Smart to receive a second opinion on his right thumb injury. Postponed due to a snowstorm, Smart’s appointment to get his injury reassessed is now set for Thursday, per Mark Murphy of The Boston Herald.

As Murphy details, there’s a belief that Smart tore a ligament in his thumb — if it’s a full tear, surgery would likely be required, with the recovery potentially taking three or four months. If it’s only a partial tear, Smart may try to play through the injury. Appearing today on the Zolak & Bertrand radio show in Boston, head coach Brad Stevens downplayed the idea of a quick return for Smart, though he acknowledged there’s a variety of potential outcomes, as ESPN’s Chris Forsberg writes.

“He told me today that he’s going to take a couple of days, see what it feels like early next week, get all of the different doctors’ opinions [then] sit down early next week and weigh his options,” Stevens said. “There could be a slight chance that he’s back sooner rather than later, but I’d say that it’s not going to be any time too soon. And there’s a chance that he would not be back [this season].”

Given how much better the Celtics play defensively with Smart in the lineup, the diagnosis will be a critical one. As the club waits for more details on Smart’s thumb, let’s round up a few more C’s notes…

Joking that he might have to sign himself to a 10-day contract to help plug the holes in the Celtics’ lineup, president of basketball operations Danny Ainge said he thinks Kyrie Irving is “going to be fine,” writes Adam Himmelsbach of The Boston Globe. However, a league source tells Himmelsbach that it “doesn’t look good” for Smart.
Stevens said today that Irving underwent an MRI on his sore knee and “everything looked great” (Twitter link via Murphy). There’s even a chance he’ll play on Friday, according to the team (Twitter link). The club also announced today that Jaylen Brown is “clearly better,” but won’t travel with the C’s on this weekend’s road trip.
Ainge tells Himmelsbach that the slew of injuries to Celtics regulars will give the healthy players a chance to shine: “I’ve seen many times where players that were not thought very highly of get an opportunity and make a name for themselves. So over these next couple weeks, there will be some guys that have those opportunities. We’ve seen players throughout the years that have responded, so this is a chance for some of our players to step up and see how much they can contribute to winning.”
Terry Rozier is one of the Celtics who figures to play a starring role with Irving, Smart, and others on the shelf. ESPN’s Chris Forsberg takes an in-depth look at the man known as “Scary Terry.”
Daniel Theis is scheduled to have surgery on his torn meniscus on Thursday, tweets A. Sherrod Blakely of NBC Sports Boston. Stevens confirmed today that Theis will be out for the rest of the season, tweets Himmelsbach.

Celtics Still Waiting On Second Opinion On Smart

March 13th, 2018 at 2:04pm CST by Luke Adams

A league source tells Mark Murphy of The Boston Herald (Twitter link) that the Celtics sure aren’t sure what the odds are that Marcus Smart returns to the court this season. Smart, officially diagnosed with a sprained thumb, reportedly tore a tendon in that thumb. “(They’re) waiting for that second opinion,” the source told Murphy. “Don’t know if it’s a 50% chance or a 30% chance (that he can get back on the court this season). Just don’t know.”

Monroe Gets Chance For Larger Role With Theis Out

March 13th, 2018 at 12:54pm CST by Luke Adams

“You really feel for him,” the Celtics’ head coach said of Theis. “He was a guy that came in knowing he could play, but maybe not even expecting to have the type of season he had. And he didn’t change that when we brought Greg (Monroe) in and mixed up minutes here and there. He just kept being who he is, and we’re going to miss him on the court.”

Speaking of Monroe, he’ll get a chance to take on a larger role and make good on his one-year deal with the Celtics now that Theis is out, writes A. Sherrod Blakely of NBC Sports Boston. “One of the reasons why we wanted to sign Greg was because you never know what can happen with your depth inside,” Stevens said.

NBA G League Assignments/Recalls: 3/12/18

March 12th, 2018 at 7:40pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Here are Monday’s G League moves from around the NBA:

The Spurs recalled guard Derrick White from the Austin Spurs, according to a team press release. White, the team’s first-round pick last June, has played 19 games with Austin, averaging 18.2 PPG, 4.8 RPG and 3.1 APG in 27.0 MPG.
The Lakers recalled rookie center Thomas Bryant from their South Bay affiliate, the G League team tweets. The second-round pick has appeared in 10 NBA games. In his last two games with South Bay, he averaged 18.5 PPG, 7.5 RPG and 6.0 APG.
The Celtics recalled forward Guerschon Yabusele from the Maine Red Claws, the team tweets. Yabusele will add depth in the wake of Daniel Theis‘ season-ending injury. A 2016 first-round pick, Yabusele has appeared in 14 games with the Red Claws, averaging 20.3 PPG and 7.9 RPG.
The Hawks recalled rookie forward Tyler Cavanaugh from a rehab assignment with the Erie Bayhawks, the team announced in a release. Cavanaugh, who hasn’t appeared in an NBA game since January 8th, has been working his way back from an ankle injury.

Marcus Smart To Miss Time With Thumb Injury

March 12th, 2018 at 2:43pm CST by Luke Adams

Having confirmed a torn meniscus diagnosis for Daniel Theis, the Celtics appear to have received some more bad injury news on Monday. According to Shams Charania of Yahoo Sports (Twitter link), Marcus Smart suffered a torn tendon in his right thumb. Charania reports that Smart, who is getting a second opinion on the injury, will be ruled out indefinitely for the time being.

Charania’s report comes on the heels of a tweet from ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, who suggested that the injury was still being called a sprain but was “under scrutiny” from Boston’s medical staff — a team spokesperson confirmed as much (Twitter link via Mark Murphy of The Boston Herald).

Wojnarowski said it was unclear whether Smart would be able to play through the injury, as he did on Sunday after initially sustaining it. Based on Charania’s report and the club’s announcement, it sounds like that won’t be possible.

Smart previously missed 11 games leading up to the All-Star break due to a hand laceration, and the Celtics struggled on defense without him. The team has shown an admirable ability to overcome injuries so far this season, but the roster depth will be tested now more than ever, with Smart, Theis, Jaylen Brown, and – of course – Gordon Hayward all out of action.

If those four players are all expected to remain on the shelf for at least the next weeks, the Celtics could apply for a hardship exception, which would allow the team to add a 16th player to its NBA roster. Still, head coach Brad Stevens said today after the announcement on Theis that he didn’t expect the C’s to sign anyone (Twitter link via Adam Himmelsbach of The Boston Globe).

The Celtics did get one piece of decent injury news today, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, who tweets that Kyrie Irving‘s knee soreness isn’t believed to be more serious than tendonitis. Irving won’t need to miss significant time, and is considered day-to-day, says Woj.

Injury Updates: Irving, Theis, Matthews, Ingram

March 12th, 2018 at 8:51am CST by Luke Adams

After leaving Sunday’s game against Indiana with knee soreness, Celtics star Kyrie Irving suggested that an extended rest period could follow, writes ESPN’s Chris Forsberg. Irving sat out last Monday’s game vs. Chicago due to knee pain, but it sounds like he’ll miss more than one game this time around.

“I think [rest] will probably be the best thing, just instead of kind of hoping it gets better over the two or three days that it usually does,” Irving said. “It’s aching a little bit more than I wanted it to now, so I’m taking the necessary time.”

Irving’s knee injury is a cause for concern, but probably not a reason to panic, writes A. Sherrod Blakely of NBC Sports Boston. The Celtics now trail Toronto by four games in the loss column (3.5 overall), but remain ahead of the No. 3 Pacers by a full seven games. In other words, they’re all but locked into the No. 2 spot in the East, so they can likely afford to rest Irving and some other ailing players down the stretch without fear of compromising their seeding.

Here are a few more injury notes from around the NBA:

The Celtics, already missing Irving and Jaylen Brown, will also see big man Daniel Theis – a key part of the club’s frontcourt rotation – undergo an MRI on his left knee on Monday, Blakely writes for NBC Sports Boston.
A right knee injury may sideline Mavericks swingman Wesley Matthews for at least the next handful of games. According to Dwain Price of Mavs.com, head coach Rick Carlisle said Matthews won’t travel with the club on its upcoming four-game road trip, though Eddie Sefko of The Dallas Morning News suggests Matthews could join the team on the trip if a Monday MRI comes back clean.
Lakers forward Brandon Ingram, on the shelf with a left groin strain, will miss at least a couple more games before being re-evaluated on Thursday, says Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN.com.
With Kevin Love, Tristan Thompson, Rodney Hood, and Cedi Osman all unavailable on Sunday, the Cavaliers fell in Los Angeles to the Lakers. After the game, LeBron James said those injuries are his biggest concern at the moment, adding that it’s hard to judge the roster when it’s so banged up. “We have pretty much five guys out of our top nine or top 10 of our rotation not playing because of injuries,” James said, per Dave McMenamin of ESPN.com. “It’s next man up, but sometimes you just fall short.”

Jaylen Brown Enters Concussion Protocol

March 11th, 2018 at 6:25pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Celtics forward Jaylen Brown will miss Sunday’s game against the Pacers after entering the league’s concussion protocol and could miss several more, according to ESPN’s Chris Forsberg. Brown was injured during a fall against the Timberwolves on Thursday. “I guess at some point, he becomes day-to-day, but I don’t see that happening anytime in the next couple days or week even,” coach Brad Stevens told reporters.