The absence of Marcus Smart from the Boston Celtics’ lineup is reportedly expected to continue over the next few weeks.
While making an appearance on NBA Countdown on Sunday, NBA Insider Adrian Wojnarowski revealed that Smart is still not near to returning to court and will remain on the sidelines at least through the All-Star break (March 5th to March 10th).
Smart suffered a Grade 1 calf strain in January against the Los Angeles Lakers. The injury came at a bad time for the 26-year-old guard as he was having a career season, averaging 13.1 points, 2.8 rebounds, 6.1 assists, and 1.8 steals per game.
Without Smart, the Celtics’ season has taken a turn for the worst as the team obviously misses his leadership and elite defense. In 12 games without Smart, Boston compiled a 5-7 record while stumbling to No. 6 in the Eastern Conference.
Marcus Smart, who was the franchise’s No. 6 selection in 2014, has become an extremely valuable player for the Celtics in recent years. Despite not being a volume scorer, he affects the game in other ways, and the team often has trouble replacing him when he’s out.
Smart was selected to the NBA All-Defensive First Team in consecutive years while also receiving an NBA Hustle Award in 2019.
