Marcus Smart is expected to miss some time at Team USA's camp as it prepares for this summer's FIBA World Cup.
The Celtics guard is out "indefinitely" due to calf tightness, USA Basketball said Wednesday. He will be re-evaluated next week when the team moves to Los Angeles for more workouts.
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Smart averaged 8.8 points, 2.9 rebounds and 4.0 assists in 2018-19 and made the NBA All-Defensive first team, but only appeared in two playoff games because of an oblique injury he suffered late in the season. Boston lost to the Bucks in both of his appearances and was bounced from the postseason in the second round.
The 25-year-old's defensive versatility and leadership will likely be important to the Celtics in 2019-20, especially given the turnover their roster experienced over the offseason.
Boston lost Kyrie Irving and Al Horford to free agency this summer and signed Kemba Walker to a four-year deal. The team will certainly look a lot different this year, so having the longest-tenured Celtic in Smart healthy could be important.
Big-name stars like Damian Lillard, James Harden and Anthony Davis opted not to attend Team USA's training camp in Las Vegas, giving Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown an opportunity to make the final roster.
Smart will likely be cautious moving forward to prevent his tightness from becoming something more severe as the NBA season approaches.
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