The Boston Celtics have been without their third-best player, guard Marcus Smart for the past five games due to the NBA's health and safety protocols. That is about to change, as the team reported earlier on Wednesday that Smart was out due to a return to conditioning, signaling his return to the team for possibly the next Celtics game on Friday at home against the Portland Trailblazers.

 

The Celtics certainly could have used Smart on Wednesday when they were beaten soundly by the Charlotte Hornets 111-102 in Boston. To make matters worse, it was former Celtics guard Terry Rozier that did the most damage against Boston, scoring 28 points and handing out 10 assists. The Celtics famously chose to retain Smart instead of Rozier as the third star to Boston's dynamic duo of Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum. That choice was largely based on defense, as Smart is an all-NBA caliber defender and Rozier is not.

That defense could have been used on Wednesday as not only did Rozier have the aforementioned great game, but Hornets guard LaMelo ball also had an outstanding contest with a smooth triple-double of 15 points, 10 rebounds, and 10 assists. The Celtics were 3-2 without Smart after starting the season 20-21 with him in the lineup. That makes them an even 23-23 on the year. Nevertheless, Smart will be back in action for the Celtics soon and they will undoubtedly be a much better team when he returns. If Smart doesn't come back Friday it will likely happen on Sunday on the road against the Washington Wizards.