Kemba Walker has missed the Celtics opening 10 games of the NBA season due to problems with his left knee; Walker received a stem-cell injection in his knee in October after consulting multiple specialists about the nagging injury
Saturday 9 January 2021 08:35, UK
Boston Celtics guard Kemba Walker has been cleared to practice after sitting out the start of the season because of left knee soreness.
Walker, 30, has averaged at least 20 points per game for five straight seasons. He figures to boost the Celtics' production on offense when he returns to game action, although the team wants to be patient with his comeback.
"We're not going to rush that," Celtics coach Brad Stevens said. "We'll see how the practice goes and all that other stuff."
Walker received a stem-cell injection in his knee in October after consulting multiple specialists about the nagging injury, which had bothered him since the middle of last season. He also has worked on exercises to strengthen the knee, which has been free of pain as of late, Stevens said.
Jeff Teague, Marcus Smart and Payton Pritchard have helped to fill the void left by Walker in the early going.
"Credit to Kemba for saying, 'I've got to get this thing stronger, and I've got to make sure that it is ready to go through a season and then, if we're fortunate, a postseason,'" Stevens said.
"But he and [strength coach Jace Delaney] have done a nice job putting together a plan of attack, along with Phil Coles and then hopefully he'll be back soon."
The Celtics beat the Washington Wizards on Friday night to secure a fourth straight victory, taking their record for the season to 7-3.
