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BOSTON — The Celtics are going to be with out beginning middle Robert Williams for a little bit longer than anticipated. That 4-6 week timeline that the workforce introduced earlier this week? Go forward and double it.
That is form of how issues are going for the Boston Celtics lately.
Williams underwent a profitable arthroscopic process on Friday, the workforce introduced. The process eliminated free our bodies and addressed swelling in his left knee.
Sadly, it additionally elevated the period of time that Williams shall be out. Initially anticipated to be sidelined for 4-6 weeks, Williams is now set to overlook 8-12 weeks.
That places his return to the Boston lineup at mid-November, if the massive man had been to return on the early finish of that timeline. If his return is nearer to the 12 weeks, would not be again till nearer to the brand new 12 months.
That is clearly not nice information for the Celtics. Williams is without doubt one of the lynchpins of the Boston protection, a terrific rim protector that scares the crud out of anybody driving to the ring in opposition to him. He performed in 61 video games final season and averaged 10.0 factors, 9.6 rebounds, and a couple of.2 blocks per contest — all career-highs. He was on monitor to be named the NBA’s Defensive Participant of the 12 months earlier than injuring his knee in late March, which pressured him to overlook the tip of the common season and the beginning of the playoffs.
Williams underwent surgical procedure after final 12 months’s damage and returned in the midst of Boston’s first-round sweep of the Brooklyn Nets. He performed within the first three video games of Boston’s second-round matchup in opposition to the Milwaukee Bucks, however was then inactive for Video games 4-6. He additionally did not play in Boston’s blowout Sport 7 win over Milwaukee, although he was out there. He performed in 12 of the Celtics’ subsequent 13 playoff video games, because the workforce fell to the Warriors within the NBA Finals in six video games.
Now he is gone again below the knife on that very same knee, and is ready to overlook prolonged time once more. It isn’t preferrred for the 24-year-old massive man — or the Celtics.
It joins a string of not-so-great-news surrounding the workforce with coaching camp beginning subsequent week. On Thursday, head coach Ime Udoka was suspended for all the 2022-23 season for violations of workforce insurance policies. Joe Mazzulla will now take over as head coach.
Danillo Gallinari, whom Boston signed to a two-year deal within the low season, additionally underwent profitable surgical procedure on the torn ACL in his left knee on Friday. No timetable was supplied by the workforce, however Gallinari is anticipated to overlook all the upcoming season.
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