Doc Rivers unsure whether Avery Bradley could make a return this month – NBA Update
The Boston Celtics are 4-8 on the road so far, have lost 6 of their last 10 games, and at 13-13, they are just hanging on to the playoff seeding. That was not something which was visualized when the C’s added one good player after
another to their lineup in the off season. The major beneficiary of the new acquisitions was the back court, which saw the arrival of Jason Terry, Courtney Lee and Leandro Barbosa.
With Rajon Rondo and Avery Bradley already part of the setup, the guard lineup at Beantown was being considered as one of the best in NBA.
With Avery Bradley out due to surgeries on both his shoulders, Terry and Lee were expected to carry the burden till the time the second year guard returns. However things never got going when the season started.
Jason Terry became the subject of some questionable rotations by Rivers, and Courtney Lee, who was supposed to be a starter in the absence of Bradley, has so far been disappointing. In the 27 games, Lee has played so far, the shooter
has just averaged 6.4 points, 2.3 rebounds and 1.2 assists.
This has put added pressure on Bradley to make a quick return. Originally expected to return on January 2, there is a possibility that the guard might play in the recent road trip, which involves three games after Christmas.
Doc Rivers when asked about the possibility however seemed unsure.
"He could play, there's no doubt," said Rivers. "He's ready to play. I don't know about the healing part of it. Does it take those extra two weeks? He had two surgeries, and I think that's what we forget. The first surgery was
on one day, the second one was a lot later. And that's the shoulder that still needs to heal. Now, if you can go through a practice, the way we've gone, especially today, can he play in a game? He might be able to. But maybe it's still too early. I don't know
the answer."
The Celtics might be struggling but they are not down and out, and can still afford to give some precautionary rest time to Bradley. The last thing they would want at this stage is a recurrence.
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