NEW YORK – Celtics forward Kelly Olynyk returned to the practice floor today for the first time since spraining his right ankle on Nov. 23 in Atlanta. His status for Tuesday’s matchup with the Nets remains uncertain.
“I haven’t gotten the clear thumbs up from our trainers, but I would say that he’s at least, at worst, questionable for tomorrow,” head coach Brad Stevens said after the team’s practice.
Though Olynyk participated in the team’s practice at Baruch College, Stevens cautioned that the hour-long session was not very labor-intensive.
“He was back full at practice today,” said Stevens, “but we didn’t do anything live.”
It sounds as if Olynyk, who did not speak with the media, looked about as normal as he could while walking through offensive and defensive sets as the team prepared for their Tuesday night battle against the Brooklyn Nets.
“He looked like everybody else,” Stevens said. “Nothing looked out of place. But it’s different when you get into a stance and you play laterally and all of that stuff.”
Olynyk worked through shooting drills alongside teammates after the practice. The drills includes shooting from both sides of the court, requiring him to run from one side to the other. He had no visible hitch in his step and he did not show any signs of pain.
Interestingly, it seems as if this ankle sprain has taught the rookie a lesson. Olynyk wears low-top sneakers, a rarity in the NBA, and he did not use ankle braces during the first 14 games of his professional career. He was wearing a black brace on each ankle at Monday’s practice.