Marcus Smart (ankle) likely to miss Friday's game vs. Sixers

PHILADELPHIA -- The hits just keep coming for a shorthanded Celtics roster less than a week into the regular season. Three days after losing Gordon Hayward to a potential season-ending ankle injury, Marcus Smart revealed this morning that he had rolled both of his ankles following a collision with Jaylen Brown during Wednesday's loss against the Bucks.

"It was a scary fall with Jaylen coming into my leg right there and rolling my ankle," Smart said at Boston's shootaround. “My ankle got caught right under him. Kind of a freak accident. I wasn’t really prepared for it...I’m kind of just taking it easy right now.”

Smart indicated that he wasn't sure yet if he would play on Friday night in Philadelphia, but Brad Stevens made it sound like a long shot that the guard will be cleared to suit up by the team's training staff.

"Marcus, from what I’ve heard, is most likely out tonight," he said. "We’ll do a more pre, all-day, and then pregame potentially and make a final determination, but most likely out."

While the Celtics can hardly afford to lose a third critical rotation piece, the good news for Boston is that Smart's absence doesn't sound like it will be a lengthy one.

“I rolled both of them," Smart said of his ankles. "So we’re just kind of taking it easy right now. Like I said, it’s the third game of the season so we’re just trying to take every precaution and every step that we need necessary to make sure that when I do come back, if I do not play tonight, my health will be 100 percent... It’s nothing serious. That’s the good thing. If I do not play tonight, I should be back Tuesday.”

BSJ Analysis: Stevens wouldn't reveal his starting lineup yet with Smart sidelined but the visitors will face a tall task against the Sixers without three of their best wing defenders. Aron Baynes would seem to be a candidate to start in place of Smart, particularly since he would get more of a chance to slow down Joel Embiid directly at the start of each half. The problem with that shift is that the Sixers start a stretch power forward (Robert Covington) that would be a very tough cover for Al Horford at the 4.

If Stevens wants to stick with Horford at the center spot, he's probably best served to go with one of his wing rookies at the small forward spot. Semi Ojeleye would be a favorite if he went that route, while Abdel Nader could get consideration as well. Starting either of the former second-round picks is certainly not ideal at this stage of the season and definitely wouldn't help with continuity after some players struggled with knowing where to be on offense for certain playcalls.

Either way, with three days off looming after Friday, Stevens is going to have to lean on his young starters for big minutes once again for the Celtics to have a chance in this game.