CELTICS GREEN BLOG by and for boston celtics fans: Injury Concerns and Updates

by FLCeltsFan 8:58 PM

I am starting to get a bit worried about injury problems already. Since the first day of practice, Pierce has been icing his knee after practices. No mention has been made about how he injured it or what the problem is, but the fact that he is consistently icing it shows that there is a problem of some kind with his knee.
From Fabio Anderle's article on Celtics Blog:

The Boston Celtics went through another hard fought session, practicing for about three hours. Some of them showed the signs of the battle: Paul Pierce got his left knee iced, and Kevin Garnett did some rehabbing too, after he was seen slightly limping.

Now, we not only have Pierce icing his knee after every practice, but we also have Kevin Garnett coming up limping and having to be attended to after practice. If Garnett or Pierce were to be out for any period of time, it would really hurt this team.

When Pruitt went down with a sprained ankle, Doc was concerned with our depth at point guard. Almost every blog and message board has been talking about this all along. Rondo is the starting point guard and I have no doubt that he is going to do well, but what happens if he gets injured? We have a piecemeal group of shooting guards who can play the point along with a rookie point guard who is a converted 2 guard. Doc voiced his concerns in the Herald:

With Gabe being out, it just shows how thin we are at that position. People keep talking about the point guard spot and they’re talking about Rajon. Rajon’s going to be fine. It’s what happens if he gets in foul trouble or one of the other guys can’t go. Then we’re thin.”

Pruitt was back at practice today but his absence due to the sprained ankle showed how thin we are there. An injury to Rondo would be devastating because he is going to have to play most of the minutes at the point with the 2 guards who can play point filling in behind him.

Scott Pollard has an injury history and is already out injured. We need to sign Batista, or we will be too thin at the center position again. If Perk's foot should flare up again, and Pollard spends his usual time injured, we would be without a center. Batista gives us a young center that will give us some insurance at the center position. From what I have heard out of training camp, Batista may move into the second unit in front of Pollard as he has been playing well and impressing. From the Herald

Esteban Batista continued to impress with his offensive game, but Rivers said again his chances of making the team will be determined by other aspects of his play.
“He played great offensively today and he’s physical,'’ Rivers said. “He plays hard every possession and that’s really important, and he’s not scared of anybody — and I love it. Hell, it may go the other way. they’re a little more fearful of guarding him. (But) he’s got to improve defensively. He fouls right, and that’s an area he has to improve on.'’

I am concerned by the number of injuries that we have had on the Celtics over the past couple of seasons and that was with young guys who should be more durable. Now we have older veterans who may be more susceptible to injury and it is a very concerning thought. We are contenders for the title this season, but with a few key injuries, we could be right back in the lottery as well. Hopefully the team's strength and conditioning coaches can keep these guys healthy. Pierce icing his knee and Garnett limping off the court along with Pollard with his foot in a bucket of ice and Pruitt already sitting out because of an ankle sprain have tempered my optimism somewhat. We need to stay healthy if we plan to get anywhere this season.

Rondo has an update on his blog from Rome.

Over all, things are looking great! I'm working hard everyday, and the start of the season is getting closer... things couldn't be better!

Big Baby has also updated his blog. Poor guy needs a nap and is trying to avoid eating another plate of octopus by hiding out with Batista.

I’m sitting here with ice on my groin. My bunions are hurting. But, hey, this is a job and I love it. I love the game, and this is what comes with the game so I’ve got to suck it up. But just to give you a little insight on how I feel right now, I’m sitting here looking at all the reporters. My eyes are a little dizzy. I’m really tired and I’m glad we’ve only got one practice today. I’m going to get me a lot of rest and come back stronger tomorrow.
In the meantime I’m going to try to avoid the rookie duties. I’ve been hiding from everybody so they don’t know where I’m at. Everybody be looking for me. Right now I’m chilling here with my man Estaban (Batista), and I just want to say… I’m out.

Good news from Perk and Tony Allen from Fabio's report.

Kendrick Perkins kept working with Clifford Ray after the scrimmages. Cliff had him shooting from the top of the key, then both left handed and right handed short hooks, and then some jumpers more from the corner. It is great to see how Ray is taking care of the kid, he always pushes him to the edge but in a very gentle way, as if “barking orders” wasn’t part of their bond.
Tony Allen went very strong to the basket, and although you can see that his lift is not back yet, he’s working hard to come back. His knee sometimes is sore, sometimes is ok, but he was definitely working very hard to get his groove back.

We can't stress enough the influence of working with Clifford Ray is going to have on Perk. Because of the shoulder injury he couldn't work with him last summer and because of the plantar fasciitis, he couldn't work with him during the season. Good to see that they are putting in extra time together. It is also good to hear that Tony is looking good. He is going to be a key to this team if he can get back to where he was. He brings a lot to the team and hopefully he can stay healthy and get back to where he was before the injury.

The team is building great chemistry. Doc was talking about how Tony and Eddie House are building great chemistry on the court. Off the court they all seem to be bonding very well. The second unit seems to be coming together quicker than the starters judging by the results from the scrimmages. Doc describes Tony and Leon as two pit bulls. We have a bigger defensive presence on the second unit and because of that, I can see why they would be winning. I really like Leon and hope he can break into the rotation. Good things just seem to happen when he is on the court.

I can't wait for the game on Saturday! It will be amazing to watch KG, RA and PP all playing on the same team. It won't really sink in until I see them play in a game. As intense as their practices have been, I hope they don't all injure each other before the game.

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