Post by Admin on Apr 15, 2018 22:59:48 GMT -5
Marcus Smart takes step towards Celtics return
Mark Murphy
Credit: Christopher Evans
There was a sign of light for those dismayed by the eroded condition of the Celtics rotation before Sunday’s playoff opener against the Bucks.
Marcus Smart took the floor for some shooting. His goal for a return remains roughly the same – Game 7 of this first-round series against the Bucks, if it lasts that long, or the second round, if the Celtics last that long.
“We're optimistic, but we're not going to rush anything,” said the Celtics guard. “We're going to take it slow. So I think I have another doctor's appointment, checkup, in the next two weeks. We'll see what she says. If she clears us to be able to start a little bit earlier, than we might. But as of right now, Game 7 (or the) second round is the (goal)."
Smart was outfitted with a new splint on his surgically-repaired thumb Saturday, better accustomed to doing things with a basketball.
"It's going well. I'm trying to stay in shape. Today was the first day with the new splint on to actually get out here and do something,” he said. “So the thumb felt well. And like I said, we're on track for the next three weeks, possibly Game 7 of the first round, definitely second round. So we're on the right path.”
The right path, albeit with common sense.
"I've got hopes. We're very optimistic. But the last thing we want to do is get out there and rush anything and we're back to square one,” said Smart. “So right now the timetable is still the same. Hopefully over the next couple of weeks things change and we can move it up earlier. But for right now it's going to stay the same.
"Right now it's trying to get that muscle back strong and everything,” he said. “The ligament's fixed. It's 100-percent healed. Now it's just kind of getting that muscle memory back into it and getting it back used to playing through contact."
The new challenge, according to Smart, was getting a familiar feeling back when gripping the ball.
“It feels pretty good actually. I know the Indiana game when I first hurt it, it felt like there was a knot in the ball,” he said. “And then I found out why that was happening. So for me to be able to feel the ball again is a big deal for me.
“Right now it’s the muscle memory, being able to see how it affects throwing the ball at it, through contact, things like that,” he said. “So we're just kind of easing our way in. But we're going to pick things up here soon. We're just trying to wait and trying to make sure we don't go back to square one."
But for now, Smart is happy to simply be back on the court, shooting. Sunday marked his first steps in that regard.
“I have a smaller splint to protect the thumb from going back to the side or possible re-injury,” he said. “So I'll be playing like that when I come back for a while, for probably the next couple of months. But this was my first time and it felt good out there."
www.bostonherald.com/sports/celtics/celtics_insider/2018/04/marcus_smart_takes_step_towards_celtics_return