Assessing injuries for the Boston Celtics during the break

The Boston Celtics are sitting pretty comfortably in the No. 3 seed in the Eastern Conference as coronavirus has put the NBA on hold for the next eight weeks. The Celtics had been struggling a bit prior to the break, losing five of 10 games while dealing with some injuries to key players. Boston had lost four of six games before the hiatus was put into effect, dropping four straight home games — the last time the Celtics won at home was Feb. 13. Now on break, the Celtics have a chance to get a few players 100% healthy. Let’s take a look:

Boston Celtics injury report

Jaylen Brown (hamstring) — DTD
Robert Williams (back) — DTD

The big question mark heading into the final month or so of the regular season was the healthy of Brown. The borderline All-Star guard is dealing with a hamstring injury again, the same one that limited him in the playoffs last season. He was deemed doubtful to play before the suspension was ruled. It was going to be his fifth straight game missed but now the Celtics should get Brown back at 100% (or close to it) once the League resumes. Time Lord was available to play before the hiatus but was held on the bench by coach Brad Stevens. He may not see much playing time down the stretch — especially if the League goes right into the postseason.

How will these injuries impact the rest of the season?

Aside from Brown, the Celtics have also had Kemba Walker and Jayson Tatum a bit banged up recently. Walker has had a bum knee and Tatum had been dealing with illness. Gordon Hayward also injured his knee, but it didn’t cause him to miss much time. Overall, the Celtics should be able to get their starting lineup healthy for the return of basketball. If that’s the case, it’s a big boost to their title odds. I think the hiatus overall will even the playing field a bit more for each team, particularly in the Eastern Conference.