The Boston Celtics have been relatively healthy to start the 2022-23 season aside from Robert Williams and Danilo Gallinari undergoing surgery before the campaign even began.
That’s why it was surprising to see Saturday a key rotational piece placed on the Celtics injury report for Sunday’s matchup against the Washington Wizards.
Malcolm Brogdon is officially listed as questionable for the game due to right low back stiffness. It’s unclear how Brogdon sustained the ailment, but it wouldn’t be a surprise if he tweaked the area in Boston’s 132-123 overtime loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers on Friday night.
Brogdon played 22 minutes in the defeat, which on the surface is on par with his minute totals in the Celtics’ four other games this season. But with the game needing an extra frame to be decided, one might have expected him to have been on the court for a longer period of time.
The injury doesn’t seem too serious, but the Celtics have proceeded with caution in cases like this recently — especially this early in the season — which means Brogdon sitting out against the Wizards to get extra rest is a possibility.
Brogdon has been a catalyst off the bench in his first season with the Celtics after the team acquired him via trade in the offseason from the Indiana Pacers. The veteran guard has accepted his reserve role and is averaging 11.4 points, 3.6 assists and 3.4 rebounds per game.
The Celtics and Wizards tipoff from the TD Garden on Sunday at 6 p.m. ET.
