C’s ‘can’t wait’ to take shots
Hoping vax will put COVID woes to bed
As the Celtics have discovered even more than most NBA teams this season, the league’s health and safety protocol, while not a place of no return, can certainly leave teams and players hanging.
ROMEO LANGFOrD was finally cleared to practice — Wednesday’s game was the 13th missed by the Celtics wing player because of the protocol, though he’s actually missed the entire season while rehabbing from wrist surgery — and still needs time before he gets the proper conditioning. Overall the Celtics have lost eight players for 42 games due to positive tests and contact tracing this season.
“Rome’s just getting back, just getting his legs under him,” said BrAD StEvENS. “He worked out the other day, and I walked back in the locker room after answering all your questions and asked him how he felt he said his legs felt like jelly. Like he hadn’t done anything for the better part of two plus weeks. You’re not allowed to. And so, he is still ramping up. Obviously he won’t play tonight, and then we’ll see if he will be cleared for Friday or not, but we’re hopeful sooner rather than later.”
Later still appears to be the buzzword for TRIStAN THOMPSON,
who missed his 11th game Wednesday night due to the protocol.
“It’s gonna be pretty similar,” Stevens said, comparing Thompson’s situation to that of Langford. “Whenever he is allowed to get back on the court, and he’s still a couple of days away from the testing that he has to all pass before he can even get on the court, I think it’ll be a pretty similar timeline once he passes all the cardiac testing and everything else. But we’re going to be appropriately cautious with those guys both from a physical perspective, and just everything else. We’ve learned a lot, this is difficult, and I think that we’ll just be conservative with it.”
Stevens will certainly welcome that day, not in the too distant future, when his players can finally get vaccinated in midApril — specified under the Massachusetts vaccine rollout for the general public.
“It’s something that we’ve talked about quite a bit. The NBA has lessened some of the restrictions around teams that have a
high percentage of people who have gotten vaccinations,” said Stevens. “But it’s something I personally can’t wait to do, and I think just generally looking forward to that opportunity. But that certainly will help. Unfortunately we’ve had several people that have had it, all the way back to (MarCus) Smart‘s episode a year ago. Again, despite all of our attempts, despite all of our efforts, despite this mini-bubble that we’re living in, we still, you know, are very susceptible to it and it’s just a great reminder of how brutal this is. So I think about all our players and how they are feeling, first and foremost, and their own health before everything else, and then you do look forward to a day where you can take the next step forward, and the vaccine is a big part of that.”
Brown returns
Jaylen Brown returned against the Mavericks following a one-game absence due to a bruised hip.
“He’s sore. Nothing big, but obviously he’s had a lot of burden all year, so he was sore all over this past weekend,” said Stevens. “He almost didn’t play the OKC game, and then we sat him on Monday. So he
feels better after a day. Jayson (Tatum) got the day in Memphis when he was feeling a little bit under the weather, it just made too much sense not to sit him. And then same thing with Jaylen. As long as those guys are feeling anything and are too sore, then right now we just have to be cognizant of that.”
Rob Williams sticks as starter
Rob Williams continued his run with the starters against Dallas, and is not finished learning how to make the most of his time with the likes of Brown, Tatum and Kemba Walker.
“Well, me getting them open is me getting myself open. So if I’m pinning down for Jayson Tatum, you got to make a decision — you want the lob or you want JT coming down the floor with a head of steam,” he said. “And it all plays a big part, it all plays a big part. Obviously, me helping them is me helping myself, too.
“I think it’s just a matter of not wanting to mess up so much. That kinda gets in my head, just not wanting to mess up. And, like I said, just relaxation on the court, obviously, that’s what I feel like is really coming.”