As championship contenders are looking to play their best basketball of the season, the injuries are quickly piling up for the Boston Celtics. With President of Basketball Operations and general manager Danny Ainge acknowledging Kyrie Irving could need surgery on his left knee in the future, there are currently major concerns about Marcus Smart.
After missing 11 games earlier in the 2017-18 NBA season, Smart suffered a tendon injury in his right thumb after diving on the floor in the team's loss to the Indiana Pacers. As the 24-year-old is getting a second opinion in New York, Ainge is hoping it is not a season-ending injury according to Ben Rohrbach of Yahoo! Sports:
Danny Ainge to @Toucherandrich: Celtics keeping fingers crossed Marcus Smart’s thumb injury isn’t season-ending. He’s getting a second opinion in New York today.
— Ben Rohrbach (@brohrbach) March 15, 2018
For the Celtics, losing Smart would be a devastating blow after already losing Gordon Hayward in the team's season opener. As Boston's best perimeter defender and enforcer, the Celtics will potentially have to face players like Giannis Antetokounmpo, Victor Oladipo, and DeMar DeRozan if the playoff seeding remains the same and the better seed wins.
For Smart, this latest injury could not have come at a worse time as he is set to become a restricted free agent. After punching a wall in his hotel room following the loss to the Los Angeles Lakers, it remains to be seen what his market value is in free agency and if the Celtics are interested in re-signing him. At the trade deadline, there were reports of Smart being moved to the Memphis Grizzlies in the potential Tyreke Evans trade.
Smart is averaging 10.2 points, 3.5 rebounds, and 4.8 assists in 54 appearances.
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