For the second straight year, the Boston Celtics will begin their postseason run without Marcus Smart.
But unlike the 2018 NBA playoffs, the Celtics are expected to be without Smart for extended time this go around.
The C’s announced Wednesday that Smart will be sidelined four to six weeks with an oblique injury. It appears the guard’s return will come toward the back end of that timetable, as Brad Stevens noted Thursday that four weeks probably is “pretty aggressive.”
Former NBA player Richard Jefferson believes Smart’s absence can’t be understated and that it could end up leading to Boston’s postseason demise.
“Oh yeah, lots of concerns, especially with Marcus Smart out,” Jefferson said Thursday when asked about the Celtics’ chemistry, as seen on ESPN’s “The Jump.” “When he came back in the postseason last year, he helped turn that Milwaukee series. Everyone was saying, ‘Look, he’s our energy, he’s our pulse.’ He’s that guy that’s just all over the place. He plays frantic, plays with a passion. So to lose one of your best chemistry guys — and I don’t think the first round really is where their danger is.
“I think they will ultimately beat Indiana. It’s when you get past that, when they get to the second round. Those obliques can make you miss a lot of time. You don’t want to rush it back because of how much torque and energy you use. But I think once you get to the second round that’s where you miss him, that’s when the chemistry issues will show and I think that’s where they ultimately lose.”
The Celtics, should they advance, likely would square off against the Milwaukee Bucks in the second round, a matchup in which Smart’s skill set would be of the essence. Boston would need all hands on deck to slow down Giannis Antetokounmpo and Co., especially on the defensive end. Smart was coming into his own on offense, too, as he set career highs this season in both field-goal and 3-point percentage.
That said, Boston was forced to cope with key injuries last season and came within one game of the NBA Finals. Replacing everything Smart provides is near impossible, but the Celtics possess the personnel to sufficiently fill the gaps.
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