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No team wants any part of the Boston Celtics right now. After wrapping up a complete beatdown on the Philadelphia 76ers in which they made never-before-seen NBA history, they are winners of their last nine games and are just 3.5 games back ahead of the Eastern Conference's top seed.
With Jayson Tatum set to start in the All-Star Game, new addition Derrick White fitting in seamlessly and the team around them performing this well, the vibes around the Celtics heading into the All-Star break are mostly good. The biggest cause for concern surrounds their defensive leader, Marcus Smart.
Smart rolled his ankle in the second quarter against the Sixers and was ruled out for the remainder of the game. Ime Udoka provided a grim update on Smart after the win. Boston has yet to determine how long he will be out for.
Ime Udoka on Marcus Smart: "Rolled his ankle pretty bad. … Limping noticeably. We'll check him out tonight, obviously tomorrow, see how it feels."
— Souichi Terada | 寺田惣一 (@SouichiTerada) February 16, 2022
Since Boston's turnaround is built on their unreal defense, Smart is invaluable to the team. He takes on the team's most demanding assignments every night and his physicality and versatility set the tone. He is also the Celtics' leading playmaker, racking up 5.3 assists per game. He also contributes 11.7 points and 1.8 steals per game, which ranks in the top five in the league.
Fortunately for the Celtics, Smart will have plenty of time to rest up. They have one more game prior to the All-Star break (against the Detroit Pistons, who own the worst record in the league) and then they are off for a week. Smart is never one to shy away from adversity and could make his return very soon after the break if the team needs him.
