Tatum on track to return tonight
Nothing is as imprecise, it seems, as the availability of a player returning from COVID-19 quarantine.
But if Jayson Tatum continues to progress in workouts, it appears that the Celtics star will return for tonight’s game in Chicago following a four-game absence.
“Not playing today, obviously,” Brad Stevens said before Sunday’s game against Cleveland. “Worked out each of the last couple days, worked out really hard yesterday, actually got some up and down in with guys that didn’t play and coaches. I anticipate he’ll play tomorrow.”
Pritchard update
It could have been worse. That’s probably the best news the Celtics have taken out of the sprained medial collateral ligament in Payton Pritchard’s right knee.
The Celtics rookie is expected to miss two weeks due to the injury, suffered Friday night in Philadelphia.
“His diagnosis not being as bad as it potentially could be, I’m happy for him,” said Tristan Thompson. “Especially as a rookie, the last thing you want to do is go through a devastating season-ending injury, especially with how hard that kid’s been working. Until then, I know he’ll be watching on the side and getting his ball-handling in, and we just kind of go from there.”
It certainly looked worse initially.
Pritchard fell into a sitting position and began holding his knee following a collision with Jaylen Brown on Friday night, and had to be helped back to the locker room, though he later returned to the bench in street clothes.
Thompson has no doubt Pritchard will be back soon enough.
“P-Money, he’s been working his tail off his he got here from the beginning,” said Thompson. “I’m a big fan of his. When they drafted him, Channing Frye texted me and said, ‘ That kid’s a worker, he’s going to surprise a lot of people.’”
Thompson: ‘This team is built for summer’
Thompson has admittedly got off to a slow start after missing all of training camp with a strained hamstring.
“Definitely, not having training camp and the injury definitely kind of set me back,” he said.
“I feel like now I’m just starting to get my legs a little bit. So, of course it’s tough because com
ing back from injury, minute restriction and all that jazz, definitely frustrating but it’s a long season and this team is built for the long run, not for the lottery or until the new season till May.
“This team is built for the summer, till June, July, so I know that during the season there’s gonna be peaks and valleys,” he said. “When you play in this league for 10 years, there’s the stretches where you feel like you know you’re on top of the world and the stretches where it’s frustrating at times but as long as you get back to the basics and put the work in every day, that’s all that matters.”
Stevens’ juggling his big men probably hasn’t helped Thompson fined his groove.
“Tristan’s in a position with two other guys that have been very productive with (Daniel) Theis and Rob ( Williams), and Rob especially in limited minutes has been very productive,” said the Celtics coach, who believes Jeff Teague has been impacted by a similar dynamic in the backcourt, though with Pritchard now out the veteran point guard’s minutes will increase.
“We start a lot of small guards and so I’m not sure that we’ve put Jeff in the best position for him to be successful when he’s off the ball. And he’s been off the ball a lot,” said Stevens. “At the same time, Kemba ( Walker)’s best position is with the ball, Payton Pritchard’s best position is with the ball, so you’re balancing all of that. I’d say it’s a combination of reputation with those guys and, at the same time, we just gotta find a way to play to their strengths.”