WALTHAM, Mass. — Before Thursday afternoon, there was very little in the way of an update on Von Wafer. The Celtics' reserve guard has been out for three weeks — he left early in the Celtics' March 4 win over the Warriors with a sore calf — and he hadn't taken the floor since.
Wafer made a breakthrough on Thursday, though, enduring a full practice with the C's at their facility in Waltham, and the results were encouraging.
"He was involved in the scrimmage," assistant coach Armond Hill said. "He was involved in everything pre-practice — the running, the training. He did everything. He looked decent."
Wafer had engaged in only limited basketball activity before Thursday, basically just shooting, he said. Thursday was his first time running up and down the floor at full throttle.
"It felt pretty good," he said. "It's started feeling better. I just have to get a little trust in it, stop thinking about it, and I'll be all right."
As far as a return to game action, there's still no guaranteed date. He still has to get the approval from head trainer Ed Lacerte before a final decision is made.
"I'm not sure," Wafer said. "I don't know. When Ed looks at it, he has to see how it looks in the morning. Then we'll probably know better."
It's also unclear, even if Wafer is available to play, how he'll find minutes. The return of a healthy Delonte West has given the Celtics a reliable third guard again, and the C's also have capable backups at the point (Carlos Arroyo) and the small forward spot (Jeff Green).
Wafer will have to carve out a role on the Celtics all over again.
"I haven't even thought about that," he said. "I've just been thinking about getting back healthy. I'm trying to come back stronger than when I left, that's all I've been thinking about. If I get to play, then great. But if I don't, then either way, I won't be disappointed. You just never know what to expect."
