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Marcus Smart: “Strong Likelihood” Of Game 3 Return

May 5th, 2022 at 11:55am CST by Rory Maher

Speaking on Thursday to reporters, including Jared Weiss of The Athletic (Twitter link), Celtics guard Marcus Smart said there’s a good chance he’ll return for Saturday’s Game 3 against the Bucks.

“Strong likelihood I should be back for Game 3,” Smart said. “We’re just dealing with the last part of it getting that restriction of the knee and the joints so I’ll be able to bend it. Once that goes away, I should be back to myself.”

Smart missed Game 2 with a right thigh contusion, but he said it was close to his knee, leading to fluid buildup.

“I’m better than I was. Some of the swelling’s gone down…I did get beat up, but it’s part of the game. It’s just the quad, the fluid. Where I got hit was closer to the knee area, so a lot of the fluid went to the knee,” Smart said, adding that he was “a little sore” after testing it out today due to the fluid (Twitter thread courtesy of Weiss).

The 2022 Defensive Player of the Year had been grappling with the thigh injury ahead of Game 1 and it was aggravated during the contest after he got hit in the thigh a couple of times in short succession. The series is now tied at one game apiece after Boston blew out Milwaukee in Game 2.

After averaging 12.1 PPG, 3.8 RPG, 5.9 and 1.7 SPG on .418/.331/.793 shooting during 71 regular season games (32.3 MPG), Smart’s usage rate has increased in the playoffs (18.3% to 21.6%) and he has averaged 15.2 PPG, 3.4 RPG, 6.8 APG and 1.4 SPG on .397/.289/.786 shooting through five games. He was limited to 10 points on 3-of-11 shooting in Game 1, but hopefully the extra days of rest will help him be closer to full strength.

Saturday’s Game 3 in Milwaukee tips off at 2:30pm CT on ABC.

Will Celtics Guarantee Horford's 2022/23 Salary?

May 4th, 2022 at 12:46pm CST by Luke Adams

Al Horford‘s $26.5MM salary for 2022/23 is only partially guaranteed for $14.5MM, but that doesn’t mean the Celtics will necessarily part with him this offseason, writes Sean Deveney of Heavy.com. “He has been so valuable to them, the way he has defended, the way he passes, the way he shoots,” a rival executive told Deveney. “He has helped develop Robert Williams, too. He is a leader.” As that exec pointed out, Horford’s partial guarantee would also increase to $19.5MM if Boston makes the NBA Finals, which would affect the team’s decision.

And-Ones: Coaching Candidates, Kirkwood, Garuba, Embiid

May 4th, 2022 at 11:39am CST by Luke Adams

Suns assistant Kevin Young, Bucks assistants Darvin Ham and Charles Lee, Celtics assistant Will Hardy, Grizzlies assistant Darko Rajakovic, Heat assistants Chris Quinn and Malik Allen, and Warriors assistants Mike Brown and Kenny Atkinson are among the assistants around the NBA who are viewed as potential head coaching candidates by league insiders, according to ESPN’s Kevin Arnovitz (Insider-only link).

A number of the names on Arnovitz’s list have been linked to one or more of the NBA’s three current head coaching openings. Ham and Brown, for instance, all believed to be under consideration by all three of the Hornets, Lakers, and Kings.

Here are a few more odds and ends from around the basketball world:

Harvard senior guard Noah Kirkwood, who declared for the 2022 NBA draft as an early entrant, has decided to remain in the draft and go pro rather than using his final year of college eligibility, according to agent Ronnie Zeidel (Twitter link via Jon Rothstein of CBS Sports).
Rockets forward/center Usman Garuba said in an interview with Spanish outlet AS.com that he’s committed to representing Spain at this year’s EuroBasket competition, as Eurohoops relays.
In an intriguing bit of international basketball news, an RMC Sport report indicates that Sixers center Joel Embiid is exploring the possibility of obtaining French citizenship and representing France in future international events. Embiid was born in Cameroon, but has family from France and has never suited up for the Cameroonian national team.

Marcus Smart Out For Game 2 Due To Thigh Contusion

May 3rd, 2022 at 4:20pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

Celtics starting point guard Marcus Smart has been ruled out of tonight’s critical Game 2 against the Bucks due to a right thigh contusion, the team has announced (Twitter link). Smart had previously been listed as questionable with the injury.

The 2022 Defensive Player of the Year had been grappling with the thigh injury ahead of Game 1 in Boston’s second-round matchup against Milwaukee. The injury worsened during the contest after Smart took contact in the region.

In Game 1 on Sunday, a 101-89 Bucks victory in Boston, Smart was limited to 10 points on 3-of-11 shooting from the floor. His Bucks counterpart Jrue Holiday, another excellent defender, scored 25 points on 8-of-20 field goal shooting.

With Smart sidelined, reserve guards Derrick White and Payton Pritchard seem primed for a minutes boost. White’s and Pritchard’s shooting in Game 1 was fairly inefficient in its own right. The duo combined to make just 4-of-14 shots from the field. A Bucks 2-0 series advantage heading into Milwaukee could prove close to insurmountable for Boston.

Boston head coach Ime Udoka revealed that White will start in Smart’s stead tonight, per Jared Weiss of The Athletic.

“Swelling, pain, restricted movement,” Udoka said of Smart’s symptoms. “I don’t think it’s long term. With three days off [prior to Game 3], we assume he’ll be okay.”

Exploring How Celtics Could Adjust If Marcus Smart Is Injured

May 3rd, 2022 at 2:00pm CST by JD Shaw

Chris Forsberg of NBC Sports Boston explores how the Celtics could adjust if Marcus Smart (thigh bruises) isn’t 100% healthy. Smart, the NBA’s Defensive Player of the Year, finished with 10 points, six assists and two steals in the team’s Game 1 loss, shooting 3-of-11. His defense is especially important against the Bucks, who start Jrue Holiday at point guard. Holiday scored 25 points in Game 1.

Draft Notes: Walker, Abmas, Hall, Travers, Freeman-Liberty, Kiss, Big Board

May 2nd, 2022 at 10:11pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Colorado’s Jabari Walker, a First-Team All Pac-12 selection, intends to stay in the draft, his father and former NBA player Samaki Walker told ESPN’s Jonathan Givony (Twitter link).

“Jabari is fully committed to becoming a professional basketball player and has no intentions on returning to school. He wants to sign with an agent and go all in,” Samaki Walker said.

Jabari Walker averaged 14.6 PPG and 9.4 RPG as a sophomore for the Buffaloes. A power forward, Walker is rated No. 61 on ESPN’s Best Available list.

We have more draft-related news:

Oral Roberts’ Max Abmas, Saint Joseph’s Jordan Hall, Australian forward Luke Travers and DePaul guard Javon Freeman-Liberty have been invited to the NBA G League Elite Camp, Hoops Rumors’ JD Shaw reports (Twitter links found here). Among that group, Hall (No. 76) and Travers (No. 87) are on ESPN’s Best Available list.
Guard Peter Kiss will work out for the Celtics on Tuesday, Adam Zagoria tweets. Kiss averaged a Division I-best 25.2 PPG and 5.8 RPG for Bryant this past season.
Jabari Smith Jr. and Chet Holmgren remain the top two players on Sam Vecenie’s latest big board, which includes his top 100 prospects. The Athletic’s draft expert considers Smith a somewhat safer pick because his shooting and defense translates well to the NBA game. Separating players into tiers, Vecenie ranks Arizona’s Bennedict Mathurin and Kentucky’s Shaedon Sharpe just outside the top five.

Eastern Notes: Smart, Hill, Harris, Bulls

May 2nd, 2022 at 7:32pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Celtics only have one player listed on the injury report for Game 2 against the Bucks on Tuesday but it’s a significant one. Defensive Player of the Year Marcus Smart is questionable due to a right quad contusion, according to Andrew Lopez of ESPN.

“He’s a tough guy who’s going to try to play through things,” coach Ime Udoka said. “We’ll get him some treatment (Monday) and see how he feels tomorrow.”

Smart was already dealing with the injury entering Game 1, then took a couple of hits to that area.

“It’s more than just pain tolerance. It’s tightness and restriction of movement as well,” Udoka said.

We have more from the Eastern Conference:

Bucks guard George Hill won’t play in Game 2, coach Mike Budenholzer told Eric Nehm of The Athletic (Twitter link) and other media members. Hill has an abdominal injury. “He was doing a vitamin, doing some individual work,” Budenholzer said. “He’s doing a little bit more in his vitamins, but not anything significant or any kind of new update.”
Tobias Harris is no longer the weakest link on the Sixers’ defensive unit, Rich Hofmann of The Athletic writes. Rather, teams are trying to attack other defenders while staying away from Harris. The addition of James Harden and emergence of Tyrese Maxey has reduced Harris’ offensive stats but he’s contributing at the other end. “I definitely have more energy to go and guard somebody,” Harris quipped.
Zach LaVine‘s unrestricted free agency and Patrick Williams‘ development are among the offseason questions looming over the Bulls, according to Rob Schaefer of NBC Sports Chicago.

Atlantic Notes: Embiid, Rivers, Smart, Raptors

May 1st, 2022 at 4:06pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

Even before news broke that All-NBA center Joel Embiid suffered an orbital fracture and concussion in the closing moments of Philadelphia’s first-round victory over the Raptors, the fourth-seeded Sixers were already facing a tall task in trying to defeat their second-round opponents, the Heat.

Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer writes that the team’s path through the playoffs becomes that much dicier with the MVP-caliber big man unavailable through at least the first game of the series. Embiid has also been dealing with a right thumb ligament tear – which will require offseason surgery – since Game 3 of Philadelphia’s first-round series.

Philadelphia seems cautiously hopeful that it might get its best player back in time for one or both of its first two home games in the series. The defensive-oriented Heat will look to capitalize on a club missing the fulcrum of its offense and defense, though Miami, the top seed in the East, could be missing some key players of its own, as point guard Kyle Lowry and small forward Jimmy Butler are dealing with minor maladies. The series tips off Monday. Without Embiid, Philadelphia will look to guards James Harden and Tyrese Maxey, plus power forward Tobias Harris, to step up as scorers.

There’s more out of the Atlantic Division:

Sixers head coach Doc Rivers, who has recently become notorious for blowing playoff leads, has outperformed his patchy postseason reputation of late, opines Marcus Hayes of the Philadelphia Inquirer. Hayes acknowledges that Rivers has blown more 3-1 playoff advantages than any other NBA coach, but praises him for his regular season work with the Sixers this year, particularly helping elevate the play of Maxey, weathering the storm of Ben Simmons drama, and helping showcase the play of Seth Curry and Andre Drummond to help make them appetizing trade bait for the team’s eventual trade to acquire Harden. Hayes also notes that Philadelphia managed to survive without their premier wing defender, the only-partially-vaccinated Matisse Thybulle, to secure crucial Game 3 and Game 6 against Toronto in the first round.
Celtics point guard Marcus Smart left the first game of Boston’s second-round contest against the Bucks due to a right shoulder “stinger” and right quad contusion, but was able to return to action in the second half, tweets Shams Charania of The Athletic. The 2022 Defensive Player of the Year would finish Game 1 with 10 points on 3-of-11 shooting from the floor, along with six assists and two steals, in a 101-89 Bucks victory over the Celtics in Boston.
After falling to the Sixers in their first-round playoff matchup, the Raptors will have to lean on their exciting younger players’ internal growth to take the next step as a team, writes Michael Grange of Sportsnet.ca. Toronto’s veterans noted as much. “I think we have the pieces and now how do you put those pieces together,” All-Star point guard Fred VanVleet said. “Can you add a few pieces around the board and then how do you make it work? How does it make most sense to be the most efficient, the most lethal team that you can put out on the floor?” Thaddeus Young told reporters that the Raptors can be “really, really scary” and added that the “sky’s the limit for every individual on this team.” Rookie of the Year forward Scottie Barnes, 23-year-old swingman Gary Trent Jr., and 24-year-old small forward OG Anunoby are candidates to take leaps for Toronto in the years to come.

Robert Williams Doing Extra Conditioning Work Since Return

April 30th, 2022 at 8:20pm CST by Arthur Hill

Celtics center Robert Williams has been doing extra conditioning work since returning from knee surgery, coach Ime Udoka tells Keith Smith of Spotrac (Twitter link). Udoka also said the wrap that Al Horford is wearing on his left thumb and hand is just a result of “the regular nicks and bruises from the playoffs.” (Twitter link)

Jackson, Brown, Clifford Are Finalists For Kings’ Coaching Job

April 30th, 2022 at 5:36pm CST by Arthur Hill

5:36pm: Jackson, Brown and Clifford are the three finalists for the job and will all have in-person meetings with the Kings’ front office, tweets James Ham of ESPN 1320.

The other four candidates — Mike D’Antoni, Celtics assistant Will Hardy and Bucks assistants Darvin Ham and Charles Lee — are no longer under consideration.

4:19pm: ABC/ESPN announcer Mark Jackson is a finalist to become the next head coach of the Kings, tweets Shams Charania of The Athletic, who adds that general manager Monte McNair has started notifying the candidates who will receive in-person interviews.

Warriors assistant Mike Brown and Nets consultant Steve Clifford are finalists as well, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (Twitter link).

Jackson, who is among the candidates that LeBron James reportedly wants the Lakers to consider, hasn’t coached since the 2013/14 season and is currently employed as an ABC/ESPN broadcaster. He compiled a 121-109 record in three seasons with the Warriors and reached the playoffs twice.

Brown has been an assistant on Steve Kerr‘s staff since the 2016/17 season. He has a 347-216 record as a head coach with the Cavaliers and Lakers and was named Coach of the Year in 2009.

Clifford spent three years as head coach of the Magic before he and the team decided to part ways last summer. He also served five seasons as head coach in Charlotte and has a career record of 292-345.