The news keeps getting worse for the Boston Celtics.
It was reported Monday that forward Daniel Theis will have to undergo season-ending knee surgery, and the news on Marcus Smart’s injured right thumb doesn’t sound any better.
The C’s hard-nosed guard injured his thumb during Boston’s loss to the Indiana Pacers on Sunday night. Although he returned to the game after having his thumb taped, Yahoo! Sports reported Monday that Smart has a torn tendon and will seek a second opinion.
Smart’s chances of returning this season don’t seem high though, as The Boston Herald’s Mark Murphy reported Tuesday, citing league sources, that the Celtics “just don’t know” if the guard will be able to return.
Losing Smart would be a critical blow to the C’s at this juncture. Not only could Boston’s defense suffer mightily in Smart’s absence as it did earlier this season, but this makes the Celtics’ bench extremely thin with only Terry Rozier, Marcus Morris and Greg Monroe being considered healthy among the normal unit.
Smart’s injury also leaves the Celtics with few healthy backcourt players until Kyrie Irving and Jaylen Brown return from their respective injuries.
While Boston has sustained a number of injuries of late, it has enough of a cushion in the Eastern Conference to be able to hold on to the No. 2 seed while it attempts to get healthy for a playoff run. But if Smart is done for the season, it will leave one of the East’s best teams extremely vulnerable to an early playoff exit.
