Nikola Vucevic will return from injury when the Boston Celtics face the Toronto Raptors on Sunday, April 5.
The veteran big man has missed Boston’s previous 14 games due to a fractured finger on his right hand. The Celtics have gone 10-4 in those games, while holding oppoents to 100 or less points on four occasions.
In his absence, Luka Garza has stepped up, proving himself capable of anchoring the second unit’s center position.
Vucevic joined the Celtics from the Chicago Bulls at the Feb. 5 trade deadline. Anfernee Simons went in the opposite direction, despite impressing during his short spell in the Celtics rotation.
Since teaming up with Boston, Vucevic is averaging 10.4 points, 7.2 rebounds and 1.8 assists, shooting 49.3% from 2-point range and 35.1% from deep.
It will be interesting to see whether Vucevic is kept on a minutes restriction against Toronto, or whether he will be available to play as many minutes as necessary. The Celtics have four talented big men under contract, including Neemias Queta, Garza and rookie Amari Williams.
Therefore, Mazzulla will have plenty of options if Vucevic is on a minutes restriction. The Celtics could also test out Jayson Tatum at the five, if they’re looking for some additional playmaking and ball-handling.
Boston Celtics’ Vucevic Previously Had Surgery
Vucevic injured his finger during the Celtics March 6 win over the Dallas Mavericks. He only saw one minute of playing time before his injury occurred.
According to ESPN’s Jamal Collier, the veteran big man underwent surgery to stabilize his fracture. Boston then evaluated him a few weeks later.
âCeltics center Nikola Vucevic had successful surgery to stabilize a fracture in his right ring finger, the team announced Saturday. Vucevic will be reevaluated in three to four weeks,â Jamal Collier reported at the time. âThe injury occurred early in Friday nightâs 120-100 win over the Dallas Mavericks, with Vucevic departing two minutes into the first quarter.â
Fortunately for Vucevic, he will now have five regular-season games to try and ramp up before the postseason begins.
Celtics’ Vucevic Has Been Nearing A Return
When speaking to the media on Wednesday, April 1, head coach Joe Mazzulla noted that Vucevic was nearing a return to the court.
âHeâs getting better, as you saw in the workout today,â Mazzulla said. âThe most important thing is that he feels 100%. When heâs ready, heâll come back, and we just want him back when heâs ready to go. Heâs going to help us â we obviously see the impact that he has on us as a player, especially last time we played Miami, he was huge.â
Now that he’s back in the rotation, Vucevic can begin trying to prove himself to Boston’s coaching staff. After all, his current contract is set to expire at the end of the current season. If Vucevic wants to contend for a championship during the final years of his career, sticking with the Celtics is probably his best bet.
However, if he wants to earn another contract, not only will he need to stay healthy, but he’ll also need to make a legitimate impact on the court. Fortunately for Vucevic, now is the perfect time to start impressing.
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