addByline("Marc D'Amico","Celtics.com","Marc_DAmico");
LAS VEGAS - No news is good news when it comes to Marcus Smart. Nothing has changed overnight since he was diagnosed with dislocated right index and middle fingers that required five stitches.
Celtics summer league head coach Micah Shrewberry revealed Friday afternoon that Smart will undergo further testing when he returns to Boston. At this point, no timetable has been set for his return to basketball activities.
The interesting news that did break at Friday's practice is that Smart's additional tests may not happen for another four to six days. Smart and the team have decided to keep him in town until the Boston's run in Vegas comes to an end.
"We do have (athletic trainer) Ed (Lacerte) and (physical therapist) Todd (Campbell) here who can work with him and be with him,” Shrewsberry said. “I think Marcus wants to be with us also. He’s not in any kind of pain or danger of anything going wrong. I think he wants to see it through also. He’s been with us since early July also and he’s as big a cheerleader as there is."
His “cheerleader” skills, as Shrewsberry alluded to, were on full display Thursday night. Smart returned to the bench during the fourth quarter to root his teammates on. He may not be able to play, but he will still be able to make an impact from the bench with his presence alone.
“Just him talking. Just being on their side,” Shrewsberry said of what Smart can still bring to the table. “He knows what’s coming and what’s going on. He’s really communicating, whether it’s during the game or during timeouts.
“He’s kind of like a little blanket for a little kid. He’s that comfort for you at night when you get scared, so he’s a good guy to have around.”
Smart can stay around his teammates for the duration of their stay in Vegas because, fortunately, his injury doesn’t appear to be overly serious. The story hasn’t changed from Thursday night: he dislocated two fingers and received a handful of stitches. All things considered, that lack of news is pretty good news for Smart and the C’s.