The Boston Celtics’ 107-100 victory over the Chicago Bulls on Wednesday night didn’t come without collateral damage.
Jae Crowder suffered a sprained left ankle and did not return to the game. He won’t be returning, in fact, for at least a week, per Gary Washburn of the Boston Globe:
Brad Stevens said Jae Crowder will be out "at least a week." #Celtics
— gary washburn (@GwashburnGlobe) November 3, 2016
Quite clearly, this isn’t ideal. Crowder is one of the Celtics’ most versatile defenders and best two-way players. The team’s defense is already off to a shaky start, checking in at 17th in points allowed per 100 possessions. His absence will be missed in upcoming tilts against the Cleveland Cavaliers, Denver Nuggets and Washington Wizards, along with any other games he’ll sit out if it takes longer than a week to return.
The good news for the Celtics is Marcus Smart has returned from his injury. That makes up for a lot of the defensive adaptability, albeit not the three-point shooting, they lose in Crowder.
The better news for the Celtics is that they are so deep, Crowder’s setback might not matter, at least not too much.
Al Horford didn’t play against the Bulls, as he goes through the league’s concussion protocol, Crowder was lost to a sprained ankle, and still the Celtics pounded out a victory. They are deep and versatile and adaptable and scrappy.
Next man up is one of the most overused sports cliches in the history of sports cliches, but fortunately for Boston and its fans, it actually applies to the Celtics, sans any emotional irony.
