Walker on mend as Celtics face back-to-back
Will have better idea on guard’s return next week
Basically, according to plan, the Celtics will have a better idea about Kemba Walker’s return from knee rehab at some point in the next week, but don’t expect a divine rise from the trainer’s table.
“As we thought, right around the turn of the new year,” Brad Stevens said of what has always been part of the timeline. “He won’t be back anytime soon, certainly we’re hopeful to get him back as soon as possible, but we want to make sure that when we do it’s for good. That’s the most critical thing from our standpoint.”
As of now Stevens hasn’t received an update on his point guard’s progress, but over the first four games of the season, including Tuesday night’s mini-series wrap-up in Indiana, the ways the Celtics miss Walker have been clear.
“You can see how we miss him. It’s funny, when we go back and put together clips of things we haven’t covered, or would like to do different, he’s in all of them,” said Stevens. “We just have to figure out a way to be the best version of ourselves until he gets back. That starts with being a little better defensively. Then getting as good shots as we can.”
Celtics tested early
The Celtics’ first four games were played against the cream of the Eastern Conference, and though the conditions were as difficult as expected, there was also a longterm benefit.
“I think it’s great for us,” said Tristan Thompson. “I think, of course, do we wish we had some other teams scheduled where we play the quote-unquote teams that might not be playoff teams? Of course.
“But I think for us, it’s a good way for us to see where we’re at and understand what the benchmark is in the East,” he said. “So, we got the win against Milwaukee, of course. Brooklyn, their two stars, 7-11, were playing at a high level. But that’s good for us, especially early in the season, because then we’ll know that we have areas of growing and improving. And we’ve got Indiana, a tough team that’s kind of, Nate McMillan set that foundation for them — obviously, he’s not there anymore — but who kind of set the tone and kind of created that formula and recipe for Indiana. So they’re bringing back nine guys who are healthy. And for us, it’s another great test for us, especially having myself and Jeff ( Teague) and us keep coming together as a group is good for us.”
Maturity is inevitable against this kind of competition.
“Here at the start of the season we’ll struggle with certain things, but we can get better as the year goes on,” said Stevens. “We can do that through film, we can do that through games. I think we’ve played three of the best teams in the NBA, certainly in the East, and that will be good for us in the long run. When I first saw this schedule you knew this was going to be tough right out of the gate, and it’s proven to be that.”
Learning his bounds
Beyond a step or two out of bounds with the ball, rookie Payton Pritchard has had a surprising impact. Stevens, tongue in cheek, made sure to keep the rookie grounded.
“Most importantly, he stays inbounds about 85% of the time,” joked the Celtics coach. “So, that’s pretty impressive for a young guy. Hopefully we’ll get the other 15% corrected. He’s a good player. He’ll be a good player for a long time.
“I don’t want to overdo it. The rookie hype train can sometimes be a good thing and sometimes be a bad thing. He just needs to keep playing, keep getting better, do the best he can, and try to catch the ball inbounds. That’s the No. 1 goal. If he can go a whole game without being out of bounds, that’d be quite a victory.”