As he continues to recover from a left knee contusion, the Boston Celtics have listed center Enes Kanter — a nine-year veteran — as out against the Milwaukee Bucks on Oct. 30.
In addition to Kanter, Celtics center Daniel Theis, who appeared to roll his ankle against the Toronto Raptors on Oct. 25, has been listed as questionable against the Bucks.
Meanwhile, Celtics rookie shooting guard Romeo Langford was a full participant in practice and could make his NBA debut against Milwaukee. Especially as Boston continues to be shorthanded and Celtics coach Brad Stevens appears to be increasingly comfortable playing smaller lineups.
With both Kanter and Theis possibly out against the Bucks, look for Stevens to turn to centers Robert Williams III (referred to as “Time Lord,” in Celtics circles) and Vincent Poirier — two talented rim-runners and -protectors who lack significant NBA experience.
Versatile rookie forward Grant Williams, who has shown himself to be adept as a small-ball center at 6-foot-6 (not too much unlike Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green), will likely play heavy minutes, even matching up against Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo in stretches.
The Celtics, now 2-1, will be looking to get off to a faster start and be more efficient from the field than they have been so far at the start of the season. But Milwaukee is well-regarded for its length and defense. Ball movement and shot selection will be the buzzwords for Boston if they want to defeat the Bucks with a bevy of inexperienced players.
