In February, the Celtics ruled out Jared Sullinger for the rest of the season with a stress fracture in his left foot.
Today, they ruled him back in.
Celtics release (via CSN Northeast):The Boston Celtics announced today that Jared Sullinger’s metatarsal stress fracture has healed completely and that he will be available for this evening’s game at TD Garden against the Milwaukee Bucks.
“We are excited that Jared’s recovery progressed quicker than initially expected,” said Celtics President of Basketball Operations Danny Ainge. “Jared was extremely diligent in his rehab, repeatedly expressing his eagerness to help our team reach the postseason. He will be available in a limited role this weekend as he works his way back to 100 percent game shape.”
This is a major development for the Celtics, who are tied with the Heat for eighth place in the Eastern Conference. (Miami holds the tiebreaker.)
Sullinger, punctuality issues aside, had been starting for Boston. He can score inside and out, and he hits the glass hard. There are defensive issues, but at his best, he competes hard on that end.
Sullinger went down before the trade deadline, when the Celtics acquired Isaiah Thomas, Jonas Jerebko and Luigi Datome. Using those players to spread the floor, Boston has gone 14-10 since, the East’s fourth-best record in that span.
So, Sullinger will have to acclimate to his new teammates, but he’ll fit the style. And he makes the Celtics more dangerous.