Getty Boston Celtics guard Kyrie Irving
While rumors swirl around the Boston Celtics about Anthony Davis trades and the future of Kyrie Irving, attention shifts to a date with the Charlotte Hornets Wednesday. Although the Celtics will remain linked to the New Orleans Pelicans star until clarity on the situation is revealed, all the team can do currently is focus on basketball.
The Celtics wrap up their five-game homestand Wednesday night against Kemba Walker’s squad. They enter the game with a 31-19 mark which is good for the No. 5 spot in the Eastern Conference. This comes thanks to a solid recent stretch in which Boston has won six of seven with the lone loss against the Golden State Warriors on Saturday.
Unfortunately, the Celtics will be without Irving for the second game in a row as he deals with a hip injury. We’re going to break down the latest on the injury and evaluate the team’s roster and starting lineup against the Hornets.
Latest on Kyrie Irving’s Injury
The injury updates on Irving have been few and far between, and the biggest piece of news is that he’s going to sit Wednesday after being listed as day-to-day due to his hip. Celtics coach Brad Stevens provided that update prior to Monday’s game against the Brooklyn Nets. He also stated that Irving may have suffered the injury in the first half of a matchup with the Golden State Warriors over the weekend, per ESPN.
Celtics coach Brad Stevens said the guard “woke up stiff and sore” and thought he suffered the injury in a first-half fall during a loss to Golden State on Saturday night.
Assuming Irving’s injury isn’t more serious than what’s being led on, then there’s a reason to believe he should return sooner than later. His next chance to get back on the floor would come on Friday in a nationally-televised matchup on the road against the New York Knicks.
Celtics Roster & Starting Lineup vs. Hornets
| Position | Expected Starter | Backup | |
| Center | Al Horford | Aron Baynes | Guerschon Yabusele |
| Power Forward | Marcus Morris | Daniel Theis | Semi Ojeleye |
| Small Forward | Jayson Tatum | Gordon Hayward | |
| Shooting Guard | Marcus Smart | Jaylen Brown | |
| Point Guard | Terry Rozier | Brad Wanamaker |
In the Celtics’ last game with Irving sidelined, a 112-104 win over the Nets, it was a well-rounded effort that made up for the guard’s absence. Marcus Smart and Jaylen Brown led the way scoring, both totaling 21 points and contributing in other areas. Al Horford posted an impressive stat line of 14 points, 11 rebounds, six blocks, and five assists on 6-of-11 shooting while Marcus Morris tacked on 15 points with eight rebounds.
Terry Rozier was again excellent filling in as a starter for Irving, totaling 14 points with seven assists and seven rebounds in 35 minutes. He’ll be tasked with a heavy workload against the Hornets and could easily lead the team in minutes Wednesday, which was also the case against Brooklyn.
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