On Monday, Boston Celtics veteran forward Gordon Hayward sat out practice with an undisclosed illness while rookie center Tacko Fall missed his second straight practice since injuring his head in an individual workout.
Meanwhile, Celtics rookie swingman Romeo Langford and second-year center Robert Williams III returned to practice on Monday, although neither would participate in contact drills.
Hayward’s sickness doesn’t appear to be serious and both Langford and Williams are expected to be full participants in practice by Tuesday — if not Monday. That said, only Fall’s recovery timeline is questionable, although his injury appears to be minor as well.
It’s possible that Celtics head coach Brad Stevens has considered utilizing Fall’s unique physical stature against the 7-foot-0, 250 pound Joel Embiid when the two teams face off on Oct. 23, especially if Williams III doesn’t suit up.
Starting center Daniel Theis will be severely undersized at 6-foot-8 and Embiid will consistently overpower him with his strength. Furthermore, while backup center Enes Kanter is 6-foot-11 and 250 pounds, he’s the team’s — not just the starting unit’s — weakest defender.
That could make rookie center Vincent Poirier, a strong and athletic 7-foot-0, 255 pound big man, their best option for guarding the All-NBA center. As well as the pick-and-rolls he’ll run with 2018’s Rookie of the Year, Ben Simmons.
