Celtics’ Vincent Poirier to miss 6 weeks to broken finger as injuries mount

Now that rookie center Vincent Poirier has been diagnosed with a broken finger that will see him miss six weeks, the Hospital Celtics are back with a vengeance.

Hospital Celtics indeed.

Boston Celtics reserve center Vincent Poirier has a broken pinkie finger that will require surgery, putting the frenchman out of commission for six weeks, per the team.

With news yesterday that guard Marcus Smart, forward Jayson Tatum, center Robert Williams and possibly even big man Vincent Poirier were potential scratches for the team’s matchup with the Dallas Mavericks Dec. 18, fans were relieved the bulk of the maladies seemed shorter-term.

Only Timelord looked likely to miss extended time with a bone edema in his left hip, and even then, he was to be re-evaluated in the first week of the new year after a three-week recuperation period.

With eye (Smart) and sinus (Tatum) infections the issue for half the player’s currently populating Boston’s injured list more day-to-day than down for an extended stretch, and the Clamart native nursing (it was thought) a jammed finger, things didn’t look so grave.

Now, down half the team’s ample center rotation, don’t be surprised to see fan favorite Tacko Fall called up from his two-way assignment with the Maine Red Claws.

Fall recently returned from injury himself, a knee contusion.

That same injury cost Turkish big man Enes Kanter a large chunk of the season as well, health issues plaguing the 2019-20 Celtics in ways reminiscent of 2018-19 — though mercifully minor in comparison to the multiple, season-ending injuries sustained in that campaign.

Boston may elect to go small, as yesterday’s calling-up of rookie wing Romeo Langford may signal should fellow rookie Grant Williams be called on to play some time as a small-ball center.

The cascade of injuries may be forcing some particularly creative lineups into action over the next several games.

Whatever the plan may be as far as adapting the team’s rotations, for now, the starting unit is intact, and the team’s depth will be tested over a period of relative ease in the Celtics schedule.

Only Dallas, the Toronto Raptors (Dec. 25 and 28), the Philadelphia 76ers (Jan. 9) and the Milwaukee Bucks (Jan. 16) loom as opponents with a winning record over Boston’s next 16 games, which should give the roster plenty of time to get right without losing too many contests.

As far as timing goes, it’s never a good time to lose player.

But, if you had to choose, there wouldn’t be much better of a time than now.