The excellent news for the Celtics: Jayson Tatum is again from Achilles surgical procedure after almost 10 months off.
The not-so-good information: Boston now shall be with out its different main midseason addition for the foreseeable future.
Earlier than Tatum even registered his first level in Friday’s 120-100 win over the Dallas Mavericks, heart Nikola Vucevic fractured the ring finger on his proper hand.
Vucevic suffered the harm whereas battling for place with Mavericks large man Moussa Cisse. In seen ache, he checked out on the subsequent stoppage, was examined on the Celtics’ bench, exited towards the locker room and rapidly was dominated out for the remainder of the sport.
On Saturday morning, the Celtics introduced Vucevic had undergone profitable open discount and inside fixation (ORIF) surgical procedure at New England Baptist Hospital.
“Vucevic shall be reevaluated in 3-4 weeks,” the group stated in an announcement, “and additional updates shall be supplied as acceptable.”
The Celtics traded for Vucevic forward of final month’s NBA commerce deadline to fortify their frontcourt, sending sixth man Anfernee Simons to Chicago in return. Since debuting on Feb. 6, he’s been a productive, if considerably inconsistent, addition, averaging 10.4 factors and seven.2 rebounds in 21.6 minutes per recreation. Vucevic’s plus-13.5 internet ranking because the commerce ranks second amongst Celtics gamers, trailing solely Derrick White (plus-16.2).
Now, the Celtics might want to make do with out the 35-year-old for many of their 19 remaining regular-season video games. Boston’s common season concludes on Sunday, April 12, with its first playoff sequence seemingly tipping off the next weekend.
Head coach Joe Mazzulla gained’t want to regulate his beginning lineup, as Vucevic was coming off the bench behind one of many breakout stars of this Celtics season, Neemias Queta. In his first season as an NBA starter, Queta is averaging 10.1 factors, 8.4 rebounds, 1.5 assists and 1.3 blocks per recreation whereas taking pictures 64.5% from the sphere and rating within the high 10 within the league in defensive ranking and internet ranking.
“Neemi has been nice for us,” Mazzulla stated after the 7-footer tallied 16 factors and 15 rebounds in Friday’s win at TD Backyard. “… I feel the evolution of his recreation, but additionally the evolution of his mindset, and taking up the possession and the accountability of what it means to be the beginning heart for the Celtics, he takes numerous satisfaction in that and takes numerous possession in that.”
The participant most affected by Vucevic’s absence seemingly shall be third heart Luka Garza, who was pushed out of the rotation after the veteran’s arrival.
Although he’s performed sparingly over the past month, Garza has loved a profession 12 months in his first season with the Celtics. The 27-year-old is a gifted offensive rebounder and lively screener, and he’s taking pictures 43.0% from 3-point vary throughout 53 appearances. He was a core rotation participant from late December till early February, and through that stretch, the Celtics outscored opponents by a median of 15.6 factors per 100 possessions with Garza on the ground.
Garza performed properly towards Dallas after Vucevic’s early harm, totaling 10 factors on 4-of-8 taking pictures (2-for-6 from three), three offensive rebounds and two blocks in 18 minutes.
Second-round rookie heart Amari Williams shall be Boston’s third choice whereas Vucevic recovers. The Kentucky product has seen motion in 17 video games, together with two begins, and had his two-way contract transformed to a normal NBA deal final month.
Williams’ greatest outing to this point was a nine-point, seven-rebound, two-block exhibiting in a Jan. 26 win over Portland. He additionally performed the ultimate 5 minutes of Boston’s double-overtime thriller at Brooklyn on Jan. 23, notching a late block to assist seal the win after not seeing the ground in regulation.
This place group will face a sequence of stiff challenges throughout Boston’s upcoming highway journey. The Celtics will go to Evan Mobley, Jarrett Allen and the Cleveland Cavaliers on Sunday; Victor Wembanyama and the San Antonio Spurs on Tuesday; and Chet Holmgren and the reigning champion Oklahoma Metropolis Thunder on Thursday.
