Marcus Smart has had to watch his teammates - including Celtics' Kemba Walker, Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown - on Team USA play in scrimmages and exhibition games while he rests his injured calf, but he told NBA TV that he's "ready to get back out there."
Smart, who has been out since Aug. 7, told Jared Greenberg in a sideline interview that he's "feeling great.“
"We’re just taking it slow and making sure I’m a hundred percent and [then] get back out there.”
The Americans beat Spain 90-81 Friday in a tuneup behind 11 points each from Walker and Tatum. They'll play three more games in Australia next week before the FIBA World Cup opens in China Aug. 31.
Smart said to join his C's teammates playing for the US should help build chemistry for the season ahead.
Boston Celtics
"To have us four here with each other and going through this journey with each other is something that's going to help us in this NBA season coming up," Smart said.
Click here to download the new MyTeams App by NBC Sports! Receive comprehensive coverage of your teams and stream the Celtics easily on your device.