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Post by Admin on May 29, 2021 17:12:15 GMT -5
Celtics injury report: Robert Williams downgraded to doubtful for Game 4, Kemba Walker questionable
(AP Photo/Charles Krupa)
By Brian Robb |
The Celtics are likely to be down another key member of their rotation for Game 4 on Sunday against the Nets. Robert Williams was downgraded to doubtful on the team’s injury report released on Saturday afternoon due to a sprained left ankle. Kemba Walker was also listed as questionable for the second straight game with a bone bruise in his knee.
Williams landed awkwardly on his ankle in the first quarter of Friday’s Game 3 win and was ruled out by the team medical staff after playing just six minutes off the bench. Williams has also been battling turf toe which has limited his availability during the final month of the season.
“Rob’s doubtful,” Brad Stevens said after practice on Saturday. “He probably won’t do anything in the morning and see how he feels as we get closer to game time. But you saw him last night, even in his stint, I thought he looked pretty limited. We’re hopeful to have everybody available, but at least in Rob’s case I’d say that’s probably doubtful.”
With Williams sidelined, look for a heavy burden to fall on starting center Tristan Thompson once again who delivered his best performance of the season in Game 3 with 19 points and 13 rebounds in 30 minutes. Grant Williams also saw a bigger role off the bench with Rob Williams sidelined, given Boston’s defense a more versatile switching look at all five spots on the floor. Stevens could also look deeper into his bench for spot minutes as adjustments are made and implored those guys to be ready for a pivotal Game 4 with the Celtics trailing 2-1 in the series.
“You have to stay on your toes,” Stevens said of his personnel choices due to injuries. “You have to prepare for what you think you’re gonna do. But with Kemba being questionable up to yesterday morning, with not knowing whether Rob was gonna play, that is an opportunity to tell others to be ready. And as they go through all their work you’re certainly evaluating every little detail and thinking about how you would apply it from a coaching perspective in the game. It’s not easy to be the guy that doesn’t play consistently, but it’s part of the job.
Walker played through a bone bruise in Game 3 but struggled mightily in the win, shooting just 3-of-14 from the field while turning the ball over five times.
“Kemba was sore today,” Stevens admitted. “I think that he’ll go through stuff in the morning tomorrow and have a better idea on him.”
The Celtics will face the Nets at TD Garden in front of 17,000 fans in Game 4 on Sunday night at 7 p.m. ET.
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Post by Deleted on May 29, 2021 17:34:26 GMT -5
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Post by Admin on May 29, 2021 18:32:13 GMT -5
It's a no hobbit Sunday ... Payton & Waters backing up Smart.
Maybe we'll be better off.
Would be great if Rob had a miraculous recovery though.
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Post by Deleted on May 29, 2021 18:51:03 GMT -5
I see the Nets putting some bodies on TT next game.
Yep we need RWILL.
Walker has a lot of miles and here was what the former little man said just today..
If i'm not mistaken the Celtics Med staff recomended surgery and he declined...
“The only thing that I would have against Boston … the only thing that I think they handled wrong was not explaining to me what the extent of my injury could be if I do play,” said Thomas. “That was the biggest thing for me I disliked. Nobody gave me no insights, ‘OK if you do play, this can happen.’ At the end of the day, it was a bone bruise. That’s what they said. So if you gonna tell me it’s a bone bruise, I’m gonna play 10 times out of 10.”
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Post by Cabutan on May 29, 2021 19:42:33 GMT -5
I see the Nets putting some bodies on TT next game. Yep we need RWILL. Walker has a lot of miles and here was what the former little man said just today.. If i'm not mistaken the Celtics Med staff recomended surgery and he declined... “The only thing that I would have against Boston … the only thing that I think they handled wrong was not explaining to me what the extent of my injury could be if I do play,” said Thomas. “That was the biggest thing for me I disliked. Nobody gave me no insights, ‘OK if you do play, this can happen.’ At the end of the day, it was a bone bruise. That’s what they said. So if you gonna tell me it’s a bone bruise, I’m gonna play 10 times out of 10.” that would work on Cs favor |
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Post by cole on May 29, 2021 23:40:30 GMT -5
Put up a thread rip Mark Eaton. Fun to watch man-mountain from Utah
Career average 5.6 blocks per game
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Post by elvissurfs on May 30, 2021 9:32:27 GMT -5
I am a big Star Trek fan, and I do not think I really needed to know that this video exists...I am going to make some coffee and try to forget that I ever saw that... |
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Post by cole on May 30, 2021 9:38:40 GMT -5
Geez, Spock is my favorite character on TV. He's the basis for my whole personality. Now I feel like Travolta on kotter:
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Post by Deleted on May 30, 2021 9:43:23 GMT -5
I am a big Star Trek fan, and I do not think I really needed to know that this video exists...I am going to make some coffee and try to forget that I ever saw that... i'm a big fan too.. It's bad really bad.. Might need more than coffee to forget this. |
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Post by Deleted on May 30, 2021 9:54:33 GMT -5
Geez, Spock is my favorite character on TV. He's the basis for my whole personality. Now I feel like Travolta on kotter: . Did it live on a TV show called Mailbu U with Ricky Nelson in 1967... Dot records. He made 5 albums. The same year i seen what i thought was my first two UFO. I'm really serious.. No i wasn't tripping i was just 13.. I'll be getting into my UFO stories after the season ends.. |
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Post by Deleted on May 30, 2021 10:01:52 GMT -5
I see the Nets putting some bodies on TT next game. Yep we need RWILL. Walker has a lot of miles and here was what the former little man said just today.. If i'm not mistaken the Celtics Med staff recomended surgery and he declined... “The only thing that I would have against Boston … the only thing that I think they handled wrong was not explaining to me what the extent of my injury could be if I do play,” said Thomas. “That was the biggest thing for me I disliked. Nobody gave me no insights, ‘OK if you do play, this can happen.’ At the end of the day, it was a bone bruise. That’s what they said. So if you gonna tell me it’s a bone bruise, I’m gonna play 10 times out of 10.” that would work on Cs favor Yeah it could and with Walker out we could take another game..I'm not betting but we should at least make a game out of it.. Smart now is an offensive threat too i guess.. Imagine that.. |
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Post by elvissurfs on May 30, 2021 10:07:16 GMT -5
that would work on Cs favor Yeah it could and with Walker out we could take another game..I'm not betting but we should at least make a game out of it.. Smart now is an offensive threat too i guess.. Imagine that.. At least Smart and Nesmith can play some D...would love to see Nesmith have a breakout game...
So much for showcasing Kemba for a trade...
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Post by quagmire on May 30, 2021 10:50:42 GMT -5
Kemba being out puts a little pressure on Marcus Smart to have another good game offensively. Hopefully Fournier can continue to help offensively. I thought Romero’s two threes last game were gravy but we’re gonna need more of that as I think we see alot of Romeo tonite.
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Post by Admin on May 30, 2021 13:14:05 GMT -5
Projecting Game 4 starting lineup against Nets
by Andrew Hughes
If the Boston Celtics have any hope of rematching the Milwaukee Bucks in the Eastern Conference semifinals after being bounced by the Cream City two years ago, winning Game 4 tonight will go a long way in achieving that.
Unfortunately, the Cs will be far from full health today as they face a litany of injury woes. Their depth will suffer, but the playoffs are when 40+ minute outings from the starting lineup are imperative.
That said, three guys that Brad Stevens regularly deployed throughout the starting lineup could be MIA tonight.
According to Keith Smith, the Cs will definitely be without Jaylen Brown (who was ruled OFS before the Nets series even started), almost definitely without their rising star big man Robert Williams, and potentially be missing their max contract point guard in Kemba Walker:
Who might the Boston Celtics plug into the lineup instead?
Let’s take a look at the five most likeliest starters if none of the guys on the injury report end up suiting up for the Cs:
Starting 5: PG Marcus Smart, SG Romeo Langford, SF Evan Fournier, PF Jayson Tatum, C Tristan Thompson
Without Kemba Walker in the lineup, Marcus Smart slides down to the point guard spot. When he was initially drafted, Smart was pegged as a potential sixth-man combo guard, but injuries over the years have forced him into the lead facilitator role in Beantown.
He has responded admirably enough to warrant emergency starts this season, and in turn his assist rate has skyrocketed. Smart averaged a career-high 5.7 dimes per game this season as Walker missed 29 games.
The interesting twist here is throwing 2019 lottery pick Romeo Langford into the starting lineup. Appearing in just 18 games in 2020-21, Langford had a pedestrian 35/27/75 shooting slash and failed to make any significant leap from his underwhelming rookie season.
Somehow, though, he rose from the ashes in Game 3 and provided the highest plus/minus differential on the entire team.
Langford has accumulated 45 minutes of time on the floor through the first three games of the Brooklyn series, more than expected postseason contributors Aaron Nesmith and Payton Pritchard and experienced playoff power forward Jabari Parker.
It would be hard to see Stevens not call on the Indiana product to fill in as a spot-starter tonight, and not just because the two share a Hoosier State bond.
Elsewhere in the lineup, Evan Fournier–who was ticketed for a starting job the minute Brown went down with a wrist injury in his non-shooting hand–and Jayson Tatum (no explanation needed) should reprise their starting roles.
In the frontcourt, Tristan Thompson essentially benefits from being the last man standing after the Daniel Theis trade deadline deal and Robert Williams’ various ailments. That said, he is more than just a place-holder, as his dominant Game 3 effort (19 points, 13 rebounds) proved on Friday night. Thompson may just be the team’s best chance of overcoming Brooklyn’s big man weakness if he can replicate those efforts.
Boston Celtics fans hoping to see Pritchard or Nesmith in the starting lineup may be disappointed tonight, but even the worst-case scenario of starting Langford after beginning the playoffs shooting 4-13 is the chance his athleticism will do more to stop the offensive barrage of the Brooklyn Big 3 than the undersized Walker is capable of.
A best-case scenario would see him either boost his trade value or prove that he is a keeper from a 2019 draft class still looking to leave an impact on this team.
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Post by Cabutan on May 30, 2021 15:45:59 GMT -5
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Post by Cabutan on May 30, 2021 15:46:30 GMT -5
Where is ky, petey?
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Post by quagmire on May 30, 2021 17:22:03 GMT -5
Projecting Game 4 starting lineup against Nets
by Andrew Hughes
If the Boston Celtics have any hope of rematching the Milwaukee Bucks in the Eastern Conference semifinals after being bounced by the Cream City two years ago, winning Game 4 tonight will go a long way in achieving that.
Unfortunately, the Cs will be far from full health today as they face a litany of injury woes. Their depth will suffer, but the playoffs are when 40+ minute outings from the starting lineup are imperative.
That said, three guys that Brad Stevens regularly deployed throughout the starting lineup could be MIA tonight.
According to Keith Smith, the Cs will definitely be without Jaylen Brown (who was ruled OFS before the Nets series even started), almost definitely without their rising star big man Robert Williams, and potentially be missing their max contract point guard in Kemba Walker:
Who might the Boston Celtics plug into the lineup instead?
Let’s take a look at the five most likeliest starters if none of the guys on the injury report end up suiting up for the Cs:
Starting 5: PG Marcus Smart, SG Romeo Langford, SF Evan Fournier, PF Jayson Tatum, C Tristan Thompson
Without Kemba Walker in the lineup, Marcus Smart slides down to the point guard spot. When he was initially drafted, Smart was pegged as a potential sixth-man combo guard, but injuries over the years have forced him into the lead facilitator role in Beantown.
He has responded admirably enough to warrant emergency starts this season, and in turn his assist rate has skyrocketed. Smart averaged a career-high 5.7 dimes per game this season as Walker missed 29 games.
The interesting twist here is throwing 2019 lottery pick Romeo Langford into the starting lineup. Appearing in just 18 games in 2020-21, Langford had a pedestrian 35/27/75 shooting slash and failed to make any significant leap from his underwhelming rookie season.
Somehow, though, he rose from the ashes in Game 3 and provided the highest plus/minus differential on the entire team.
Langford has accumulated 45 minutes of time on the floor through the first three games of the Brooklyn series, more than expected postseason contributors Aaron Nesmith and Payton Pritchard and experienced playoff power forward Jabari Parker.
It would be hard to see Stevens not call on the Indiana product to fill in as a spot-starter tonight, and not just because the two share a Hoosier State bond.
Elsewhere in the lineup, Evan Fournier–who was ticketed for a starting job the minute Brown went down with a wrist injury in his non-shooting hand–and Jayson Tatum (no explanation needed) should reprise their starting roles.
In the frontcourt, Tristan Thompson essentially benefits from being the last man standing after the Daniel Theis trade deadline deal and Robert Williams’ various ailments. That said, he is more than just a place-holder, as his dominant Game 3 effort (19 points, 13 rebounds) proved on Friday night. Thompson may just be the team’s best chance of overcoming Brooklyn’s big man weakness if he can replicate those efforts.
Boston Celtics fans hoping to see Pritchard or Nesmith in the starting lineup may be disappointed tonight, but even the worst-case scenario of starting Langford after beginning the playoffs shooting 4-13 is the chance his athleticism will do more to stop the offensive barrage of the Brooklyn Big 3 than the undersized Walker is capable of.
A best-case scenario would see him either boost his trade value or prove that he is a keeper from a 2019 draft class still looking to leave an impact on this team.
I actually like this starting 5, although it significantly weakens our bench. Romeo showed me he is tough, good on D and good on the boards. Hope we have enough offense. An overlooked point is a full house crowd for the first time in over a year! How will our young guys respond to that? |
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Post by kivancb on May 30, 2021 17:49:26 GMT -5
Could this be the Romeo game?
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Post by Admin on May 30, 2021 18:00:01 GMT -5
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Post by kivancb on May 30, 2021 18:00:59 GMT -5
I'm pumped up after watching Lakers lose against Suns.
Let's go Celtics is all I could say right now. So let's go.
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Post by Admin on May 30, 2021 18:02:14 GMT -5
Sunday, May 30 - Game 4 - Nets at Celtics
Pregame – Celtics To Play Without Walker and Williams
The Boston Celtics will be without both Kemba Walker and Rob Williams for tonight’s Game 4 against the Brooklyn Nets. While their absences loom large, head coach Brad Stevens believes his team has plenty of firepower to get by and compete for a win. That notion stands true at point guard, in particular, as Stevens relayed prior to tip-off against the Nets. “Marcus (Smart) plays point even when Kemba is on the court some,” Stevens made sure to point out. “So Marcus will play point, Payton (Pritchard) will play point, Jayson Tatum will play point. We’ll be able to play different guys at the point.” And while Smart, Pritchard and Tatum cannot individually replace what Walker brings to the table, they can combine forces to keep the Celtics just as competitive. “Nobody does exactly what Kemba does,” the coach said, “but you play to your strengths. You replace what he brings to the table with several different guys doing their stuff well and getting more opportunity to do theirs.” There will be one player in particular who will get more of an opportunity as the Celtics fill their open void in the starting five. That player is second-year wing Romeo Langford. News broke about an hour before tip-off that Langford has been tabbed as the player who will start in Walker’s place. Langford is not nearly the same level scorer as Walker, but his defense and effort significantly impacted the Celtics during their victory in Game 3. Langford played more than 27 minutes of that game and Boston outscored Brooklyn by 21 points during that time. The 6-foot-4 wing, who has a wingspan that surpasses 6-foot-10, totaled six points, six rebounds and one steal during that contest. While Langford is being asked to fill some significant sneakers for his first career playoff start, it will be a collective effort for the Celtics as they look to overcome the absence of both Walker and Williams and grab a win to tie this series up. - Marc D'Amico
www.nba.com/celtics/news/post-ups
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Post by drboogiebone on May 30, 2021 18:02:18 GMT -5
C's without 3 of our starters. If we're going to go out, go out swinging guys. Keep Celtic Pride alive!
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Post by drboogiebone on May 30, 2021 18:04:17 GMT -5
Come out swinging guys... don't let them get going early.
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Post by Admin on May 30, 2021 18:04:49 GMT -5
The Nets?
Who?
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Post by drboogiebone on May 30, 2021 18:05:10 GMT -5
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