Ongoing Injury Updates

Whenever news comes available.



Sean Grande @SeanGrandePBP
about 1 hour ago
Celtics will play a 5th straight game without Jayson Tatum Sunday night against Cleveland. He'd only missed 11 games his first three years. The Celtics were a top 10 NBA offense with him. They're the NBA's 29th ranked offense in the last week without him.



A. Sherrod Blakely
A. Sherrod Blakely @ASherrodblakely
about 1 hour ago
Update on Payton Pritchard: The #Celtics indicate he has a Grade I sprain of his right MCL and is expected to return to on-court activities in approximately two weeks.



Bob
MY NOTE:  A bit surprised Tatum isn't ready despite having been out of protocol for days.  Good news about PP, probably the best we could have expected.

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Pritchard was getting into such a good rhythm... another year starting with a bunch of injuries

dbrown4 wrote:Is this blind luck with us and all the injuries or is there a trainer on the staff who just ain't gettin' it done?    I know this was a freak accident but this is bordering on ridiculous.  I'm not whining but we have had uncanny luck over the last few years.  

db

db

It is just bad luck and circumstance. PP gets run into by JB after Brown was pushed into him. Romeo Langford gets nicked up more than and SUV parked at the grocery store. RW has now played in 70 games total over his 2+ years of service. Kemba had a bad knee when Danny went goo goo gaga over him. And now you have a pandemic where no one is safe 100% of the time.

What's the latest on Romeo? I think they were saying end of January but that was a while ago. Is he able to get in any meaningful practice?

atcross wrote:What's the latest on Romeo? I think they were saying end of January but that was a while ago. Is he able to get in any meaningful practice?

atcross,

He's been doing "light shooting". I suppose, if there's a silver lining here, because he has a wrist injury that won't stop him from doing his cardio.


Bob


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Romeo Langford cannot shoot, bad wrist or not.  

Defensively he adds to our wing depth but do not believe any hype about him being or becoming a good shooter.

It will never happen unless he is hypnotized where he forgets how he shoots and you start from the bare bottom so he can learn how to shoot.  He needs a top to bottom makeover in his shooting mechanics.  His athleticism is not elite so he really needs to commit to improving his game.

Muscle memory is a Mother F---er.  One man walks with a limp and the other leaps tall building in a single bound.  

What a wasted pick by Danny Ainge.

dbrown4 wrote:so, dboss, you like Romeo?!  

I'm clear on where you stand!  

db

db

I do not really dislike him per se. I think he is on the wrong team with limited opportunity to develop. We still have way too many developmental players.

dboss wrote:

dbrown4 wrote:so, dboss, you like Romeo?!  

I'm clear on where you stand!  

db

db

I do not really dislike him per se.   I think he is on the wrong team with limited opportunity to develop.  We still have way too many developmental players.

I might say the same thing about Nesmith you know ...

Vankisa wrote:

dboss wrote:

dbrown4 wrote:so, dboss, you like Romeo?!  

I'm clear on where you stand!  

db

db

I do not really dislike him per se.   I think he is on the wrong team with limited opportunity to develop.  We still have way too many developmental players.

I might say the same thing about Nesmith you know ...

Speaking of whom, the Celtics have announced Aaron Nesmith is available to play.


Bob


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dboss wrote:Romeo Langford cannot shoot, bad wrist or not.  

Defensively he adds to our wing depth but do not believe any hype about him being or becoming a good shooter.

It will never happen unless he is hypnotized where he forgets how he shoots and you start from the bare bottom so he can learn how to shoot.  He needs a top to bottom makeover in his shooting mechanics.  His athleticism is not elite so he really needs to commit to improving his game.

Muscle memory is a Mother F---er.  One man walks with a limp and the other leaps tall building in a single bound.  

What a wasted pick by Danny Ainge.

So you're saying only players with classic shooting mechanics can make it in the NBA? How was Smart's form when he was a rookie? How many players have we seen come to the league who were scorers but not shooters? And how many went on to become effective shooters as well? RL clearly has terrific defensive instincts. And he can penetrate. Smart, Brown, Ojeleye, and Theis have all learned to shoot the three since they came to the Cs. I think saying it was a wasted pick is awfully premature.

dboss wrote:

dbrown4 wrote:Is this blind luck with us and all the injuries or is there a trainer on the staff who just ain't gettin' it done?    I know this was a freak accident but this is bordering on ridiculous.  I'm not whining but we have had uncanny luck over the last few years.  

db

db

It is just bad luck and circumstance.   PP gets run into by JB after Brown was pushed into him.   Romeo Langford gets nicked up more than and SUV parked at the grocery store.  RW has now played in 70 games total over his 2+ years of service.  Kemba had a bad knee when Danny went goo goo gaga over him.  And now you have a pandemic where no one is safe 100% of the time.

 

You saw my wife's last SUV?

If Smart can improve his shooting which he has done, as has Jaylen and it looks like Theis is getting comfortable there too now, there is still hope that Romeo can still come around. At least he is willing to work on it and that is a start, I don’t get how a franchise can let a Ben Simmons just ignore that essential part of the game. If I’m a GM I would have told this kid your shooting 500 jumpers every day and here’s the coach were sending to train you.....

Vankisa wrote:

dboss wrote:

dbrown4 wrote:so, dboss, you like Romeo?!  

I'm clear on where you stand!  

db

db

I do not really dislike him per se.   I think he is on the wrong team with limited opportunity to develop.  We still have way too many developmental players.

I might say the same thing about Nesmith you know ...

Yes you could say that but one player came into the league as a guy who could shoot the ball and the other could not. It is a lot easier to develop guys with a certain skill set.

atcross wrote:

dboss wrote:Romeo Langford cannot shoot, bad wrist or not.  

Defensively he adds to our wing depth but do not believe any hype about him being or becoming a good shooter.

It will never happen unless he is hypnotized where he forgets how he shoots and you start from the bare bottom so he can learn how to shoot.  He needs a top to bottom makeover in his shooting mechanics.  His athleticism is not elite so he really needs to commit to improving his game.

Muscle memory is a Mother F---er.  One man walks with a limp and the other leaps tall building in a single bound.  

What a wasted pick by Danny Ainge.

So you're saying only players with classic shooting mechanics can make it in the NBA? How was Smart's form when he was a rookie? How many players have we seen come to the league who were scorers but not shooters? And how many went on to become effective shooters as well? RL clearly has terrific defensive instincts. And he can penetrate. Smart, Brown, Ojeleye, and Theis have all learned to shoot the three since they came to the Cs.  I think saying it was a wasted pick is awfully premature.

Actoss

Well I did not say all that.  A lot of guys come into the league with a hitch in their shot.  That hitch can be fixed.  That is a minor structural correction that can work its' way out.  When I watch Romeo I see major structural flaws in the way he shoots.  Last year they worked with him to change his shot but he has bad habits.  Muscle memory is hard to change.   He could become a good shooter but he could also turn into James Young.  

Marcus Smart was a 29% shooter from 3 in college.  He is still not a good shooter.  He is a career 37.3% shooter and only 31.9% from deep.  Semi shot 41% from deep (3 years in college)  I expected him to be a good shooter.  Jaylen Brown was a poor shooter in college and he came in with a hitch which has been fixed and now he is great.  Daniel Theis is not a great shooter from distance.  he has played well the last few games but he is still shooting 32.1% from deep.  He still has a hitch (at times his release point is too far behind his head) It impacts his fluidity.

Is Langford going to be closer to JB or MS?  Who knows but if I was a betting man I would bet the under on him

With respect to wasted picks all 4 of the draft picks from last year were wasted picks in my opinion.  Romeo was one of those picks and I have seen nothing from him that sways me in a different direction.  I have seen nothing of consequence from any of them that tells me they will become good NBA players.  

I can pretty much look at the way a guy shoots, his form, his mechanics, how how he sets his feet, his release point, where his elbows are when he shoots, etc.  and have a fairly confident idea about his flaws.  Romeo has a multitude of flaws so he needs to forget everything he ever knew about shooting a jump shot and start from scratch, which seems quite impossible to do.

Dboss,

Well I don't know your credentials on the subject (I have none) but with all due respect, Ainge was a pretty good shooter in his day. I think he would have seen it if the mechanics were beyond repair. And we've hardly scratched the surface on RL, considering all of his injuries. I'd like to see a lot more before we write him off as a wasted pick.

Actoss

atcross wrote:Dboss,

Well I don't know your credentials on the subject (I have none) but with all due respect, Ainge was a pretty good shooter in his day. I think he would have seen it if the mechanics were beyond repair. And we've hardly scratched the surface on RL, considering all of his injuries. I'd like to see a lot more before we write him off as a wasted pick.

Actoss

One thing I have see from Langford is he can defend and he can attack the basket.

Just the first thing makes him miles better than Jeff Teague in my book.

But on the other side a 14th pick that has sat with injuries for most of his NBA career so far... I hope he has a long and healthy career, even if not with the Celtics ultimately, but I would not bet on it.

I would bet on Romeo solely because of his attitude. He is resilient and self-confident with a veteran's poise. I think he will overcome and become a key contributor in the next couple of years.

Chris Grenham
@chrisgrenham
I've been told by two sources that the initial target date for Pritchard's return is next Wednesday's matchup vs. the Kings (2/3). Time will tell if that remains the case.

Sean Grande
@SeanGrandePBP
Payton Pritchard is out on the floor in San Antonio right now getting shots up, FYI.
5:40 PM · Jan 27, 2021



Bob
MY NOTE: February 3rd would be just under 2 weeks out.



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There is some good news for the Celtics, even as they wobble out West with a depleted point-guard rotation: Rookie Payton Pritchard, who has been a surprisingly useful sixth man off the bench, is close to returning and should be back in the lineup, perhaps as soon as Friday when Boston takes on the Clippers in Los Angeles.

In fact, Pritchard, who has been out since January 24 with a Grade 1 MCL sprain in his right knee, was close to playing on Wednesday against the Kings, according to team president Danny Ainge.

Speaking on the Toucher and Rich show on 98.5 The Sports Hub in Boston, Ainge gave a Pritchard update:

He’s very close. He was close to playing last night. Payton, he is a tough kid. Our biggest fear with him is coming back too soon. Some guys are trying to push to get back out there and get back and maybe are a little nervous about it but Payton is, his history, high school and college is wanting to play through everything. He has a sore a knee and it is not 100% healed. I am expecting at some point on this trip he will be ready to play.


Bob


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JB plays better with Pritchsrd than Kemba. Pritchard plays better overall than Kemba. Ergo Brad will start and pair JB with Kemba most of the game.

worcester wrote:JB plays better with Pritchsrd than Kemba. Pritchard plays better overall than Kemba. Ergo Brad will start and pair JB with Kemba most of the game.

Goodness me. Haven't we become quite the cynic?


Bob


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Losing does this to me.

Cynism was popular in the 3rd century B.C. in Greece. A philosophy headed up by Antisthenes. Yes, I am that old.