Hardwood Houdini
Fansided

Avery Bradley’s Injury Becoming a Mysterious Concern

By Joshua Bateman

Oct 29, 2016; Charlotte, NC, USA; Boston Celtics guard Avery Bradley (0) sits on the bench during the second half against the Charlotte Hornets at the Spectrum Center. The Celtics defeated the Hornets 104-98. Mandatory Credit: Jeremy Brevard-USA TODAY Sports
Oct 29, 2016; Charlotte, NC, USA; Boston Celtics guard Avery Bradley (0) sits on the bench during the second half against the Charlotte Hornets at the Spectrum Center. The Celtics defeated the Hornets 104-98. Mandatory Credit: Jeremy Brevard-USA TODAY Sports /
facebooktwitterreddit

Despite claiming to be 100 percent, Avery Bradley continues to miss games with an injury

The Boston Celtics have been playing it safe with injuries all season long. They have always given players more than enough time they need to get back to 100 percent, and that has allowed almost every injured player to return without any repercussions. That is, except for one player and one injury that is getting more and more troubling as each game passes for the Celtics.

As Avery Bradley goes yet another day with day to day status, it is reaching a point where fans can have no assurances that he is going to return, even if there still is a legitimate chance he returns against the Hawks. So far, there have been no indications that Bradley has suffered an actual set back since he was last taken out of the lineup, but it is maddening that every single game is supposed to be his last one sidelined, and yet he never gets back into the lineup.

Perhaps the Celtics are being every more overly cautious than usual because of the last time they tried to bring him back. Bradley has missed 22 of the last 23 games, and that one game he did play may be the biggest problem. The Celtics brought Bradley back after he missed the first four games, apparently aggravating the injury and leading to this prolonged absence.

After that, the Celtics gave a timetable that was not expected to push into the All Star break. That being said, the closer we got to the break, the clearer it become that the Celtics were going to play it as safe as possible, and give him that extra rest.

More from Hardwood Houdini

That, however, was supposed to be worst case scenario. All the talk about Bradley from himself and the staff has been that he has progressed well, and now this injury has spilled over into worse that what should have been the worst case scenario as not even the All Star break was enough.

Bradley was held out of the Raptors game, even though he claimed to be at 100 percent. Then Bradley missed the game against the Pistons, putting fans into a situation where they cannot trust he will return to the lineup until he is actually on the court at the tip.

It is a nearly impossible situation to gauge, and that may be the most concerning thing for fans. There has been no news of an actual physical set back, so everyone is now wondering why, without any further injury, is he not able to get back into the lineup.

Bradley has a bit of an injury history, add this kind of thing cannot be taken lightly. The Celtics have held onto the two seed with him sidelined, but they know they need him to keep their separation from a Raptors team that may have been the biggest trade deadline winner.

The bottom line is that the Celtics cannot and will not rush Bradley back, but it the growing concern is that there has been more to this injury than the day to day status that has gone on for weeks now.

The logic should be that this will allow Bradley to come back to the lineup healthier than ever this season, with absolutely no chance whatsoever of reaggravating anything. But, with each delay in his return, it is impossible for fans to remain content with him claiming to be 100 percent, and the team saying he is day to day.

Right now, there is no reason to panic. Again, there is a solid chance he will return to the Hawks game, but it is too hard to shake the feeling that there is something more here. As long as the Celtics keep their hold on the two seed, and as long as Jaylen Brown continues to fill in the way he has, then everything is manageable.

Next: Boston Celtics Need to Rebound After Quiet Deadline

Winning games have given the Celtics the luxury of taking this route with Bradley, but if they are not able to keep that up while Bradley stays on the sidelines, then everyone will know that this injury to Bradley is something that may not go away at all this season.

Home/Celtics News