Six Boston Celtics players will sit out the 7-1 reigning champs' matchup against their 2022 NBA Finals adversaries, the 6-1 Golden State Warriors, on Wednesday night. Both teams have dropped just one game heading into this clash. That's about to change.
As has been previously announced, All-Star Celtics small forward Jaylen Brown will be on the shelf with a left hip flexor strain for the third straight game. The 2024 Finals MVP, a three-time All-Star and one-time All-NBA honoree, seems to be well on his way to another decorated NBA season at age 28. He's averaging 25.7 points on .400/.267/.809 shooting splits, 7.2 rebounds, 3.8 assists, 1.5 steals and 0.5 blocks a night in his six healthy appearances.
Per the league's latest injury report, Brown will be joined by fellow All-Star (when healthy) starter Kristaps Porzingis, who's out till at least 2025 as he rehabilitates his surgically enhanced left posterior tibialis tendon. Four other Celtics are with the club's G League affiliate squad, the Maine Celtics (though some of us will never forgive them for changing their moniker from the much more fun name "the Maine Red Claws"): two-way players JD Davison, Drew Peterson and Anton Watson, plus rookie shooting guard Baylor Scheierman, who's on assignment to get some extra run rather than stay glued to the bench all night in Boston.
The Celtics drafted Scheierman after an All-American Third Team season at Creighton in 2023-24, with the No. 30 pick in the 2024 NBA Draft. The 6-foot-6 swingman has appeared in just three games for Boston thus far in spot minutes. He's averaging 1.3 points and 1.3 boards across 6.0 minutes per.
On the Warriors side, oft-hurt new signing De'Anthony Melton is hurt once again, this time with a right low back strain, and will miss the contest. The 6-foot-2 former USC combo guard, 26, joined the Warriors on a one-year, $12.8 million sign-and-trade deal this summer. Across 16.7 minutes a night off the bench in his three healthy games with Golden State so far, Melton is averaging 6.3 points on an underwhelming .350/.267/.500 slash line, 2.7 assists, 1.3 rebounds, 1.0 steals and 0.7 blocks a night.
Second-year 2024 All-Rookie Team Warriors guard Brandin Podziemski will be able to play through his broken nose while continuing to wear a facemask. In his seven bouts with the team (three starts — he's been toggled between the bench and a starting role), the 21-year-old Santa Clara product is averaging 9.3 points while slashing .378/.182/.500, 5.3 rebounds, 4.0 assists, 0.7 steals and 0.6 blocks a night.
The action tips off at 4:30 p.m. PT/7:30 p.m. CT in TD Garden.
