With the Boston Celtics recently suffering a big blow with the loss of feisty guard Marcus Smart to injury, C's head coach Brad Stevens recently admitted that Smart's 4-6 week timeline appears to be more optimistic than they had originally hoped.
Brad Stevens tempering expectations for a quick Marcus Smart return. Calls 4-6 week timeline “aggressive” from what he’s been told.
— Chris Forsberg (@ChrisForsberg_) April 11, 2019
After further testing, the Celtics learned that Smart had suffered a torn oblique muscle on Sunday night, in a 116-108 defeat to the Orlando Magic. The injury would reportedly sideline him for the first two rounds of the playoffs, and Stevens' recent comments here seems to imply that Smart could be out for an even longer period of time.
This could not have come at a worse time for Boston, with the playoffs just days away. Smart is one of their best defenders, and they're definitely going to miss his services as they face off against the Indiana Pacers in the first round of the playoffs. This series tips off on Sunday in Boston, and surely, Smart will be a big loss for the team.
Should the Celtics get through the first round, they will be pitted against either the first-seeded Milwaukee Bucks or the eighth-placed Detroit Pistons. Either is going to be a tough matchup for Boston, but with how the Bucks have been playing this season, Giannis Antetokounmpo and company will most likely prove to be a bigger challenge.
The soonest Boston can get Smart back will be in the Eastern Conference Finals, and even that is not a sure thing. It's going to be a tough road ahead for the Celtics, and it would be in their best interest to make the necessary adjustments under the assumption that they will be without Smart for the remainder of their season.
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