C’s Dealt Tough Break With Bradley Injury

As it was reported by ESPN's Chris Forsberg earlier today, it appears the Celtics will be without guard Avery Bradley for the remainder of their opening round playoff series against the Atlanta Hawks.

Bradley, of course, pulled up lame just midway through the fourth quarter of the C's 102-101, game 1 loss in Atlanta. Up to that point, the fifth year veteran, who is the only remaining player from the team's last postseason series win, had payed 33 minutes and put 18 points on the board.

Even after missing the final seven minutes of the game Bradley's 18 points still put him second on the team in scoring.

Boston head coach Brad Stevens will now be tasked with finding a way to fill the void made by Bradley's absence.

On the outside, it appears the C's will most likely shift second year guard Marcus Smart, who was third on the team in scoring in game 1 with 15 points, into the starting lineup. While that move should provide a somewhat smooth transition for the team, it will be interesting to see who steps into Smart's old bench role and provides the same level of scoring punch and defensive tenacity as the Oklahoma State product has through most of the season.

The top two options on the roster are rookies Terry Rozier and R.J. Hunter. The two saw limited action all season long but will have to most likely work together to account for at least part of the minutes Bradley would have played throughout the rest of the series.

It will be a tall task for the first year players, however, as Bradley played in 76 games this season and the two combined for just 75 games played.

Evan Turner will also have to step up his play to help carry the load for Boston. He and Smart could both see their minutes increase somewhat, to keep from having to play both rookies together on the court at once.

Whatever it is the C's plan to do to fill the void created by Bradley's injury, they've got to do it quickly and get things on track to try to even the series on Tuesday and head back to Boston with a chance to pull away.