A week ago against the 76ers, the Celtics trotted out a fully healthy rotation with Jaylen Brown, Robert Williams, Josh Richardson, and Dennis Schroder all returning from a myriad of injuries. That comet of health was however, fleeting.
To start their five-game west coast road trip, Brown sat out Friday’s shootout in Utah and Horford (lower back tightness) and Romeo Langford (sprained right ankle) did not participate in Boston’s blowout of the Blazers the following night.
Now, after putting up 130 and 145 points in back-to-back nights, Boston could be whole again in Los Angeles for another back-to-back set against the Lakers on Tuesday night and Clippers on Wednesday night.
Per head coach Ime Udoka, Horford and Langford are “good to go” against the Lakers, but the news on Brown is vague. “We’ll see how he feels tomorrow after going harder today than he has in a while since he’s played in the games,” Udoka said after Monday’s practice in LA. “It’s a big picture approach, being conscious with it, and getting him back 100, not 85-90, so it doesn’t linger. We’ll see how he feels tomorrow.”
With a healthy roster on the horizon if not tomorrow but soon, the hope is to taper off minutes to the Celtics’ rotation players. Jayson Tatum leads the team in minutes per game (36.5) and total minutes (875 and 2nd in the NBA) and hasn’t missed a game all year. “He’s a guy that’s coped well. He’s finding his rhythm and I’ve never seen a guy his age take care of himself like he does and prepare the way he does,” Udoka said. “Getting treatment, getting the shots he needs, hitting the weight room, living in the gym, he takes care of himself. It’s not a coincidence that he can play those high minutes and play at a high level.”
