For as well as the Boston Celtics have played in their last few games, there's no doubt they'd like to get Marcus Smart, their defensive anchor, back on the court. The sixth-year guard has missed the team's last eight games with an eye infection. However, according to Celtics head coach Brad Stevens, Smart has been making the right strides towards a return.

Stevens noted that the 6-foot-3 guard might be in line to return for the Celtics next game on Saturday against the Toronto Raptors.

“He came in yesterday, did some full-court stuff, looked good. And then we’ll be able to assess that tomorrow,” Stevens said.

Smart himself has noted that he feels much better than he did on Wednesday and that his eyes are no longer half open.

In the eight games that Smart missed, the Celtics managed to go 7-2 and are currently on a four-game win streak. Despite the team's success without him, Smart's impact on the Celtics is undeniable. The scrappy guard brings energy, toughness and lockdown defense to a Boston team that has certainly appreciated it.

Boston ranks second in the NBA in both points allowed per game and defensive rating and Smart is the driving force behind that.

In 20 games this season, Smart has made 15 starts and has put up a career-high 11.8 points per game to go along with 4.6 assists, 3.4 rebounds and 1.3 steals per game.

The Celtics as a whole have suffered numerous injuries throughout the season. So far, Smart, Gordon Hayward, Enes Kanter, Robert Williams and Romeo Langford have all missed significant time with injuries.