Kemba Walker (flu) out against Hawks, Tremont Waters recalled

The Celtics' wave of injuries and illnesses will extend to Friday night at TD Garden, as Kemba Walker was ruled out for tonight's game against the Hawks at this morning's shootaround due to flu-like symptoms. Brad Stevens told reporters that Tremont Waters has been recalled from Maine in his absence and could stay with the team for a longer stretch, especially with Walker's availability for Saturday's game in Chicago still in question.

Fellow rookie Carsen Edwards will remain with the Red Claws for their game on Friday night and then will fly to Chicago on Saturday to provide some added depth in the event that Walker does not make the trip.

This will mark just the second game that Walker has missed this season despite suffering a scary fall in Denver back in November. The All-Star is averaging 22.5 points per game this season on a career-high 39.5 percent shooting from 3-point range.

BSJ Analysis: The Hawks may be the worst team in the NBA but they will have high-scoring guard Trae Young back in the lineup after he missed Atlanta's last two games with a sprained ankle. His presence combined with the return of John Collins back to the lineup following a 25-game suspension makes Atlanta a tougher out than they appear to be on paper.

The Celtics will likely stick with Marcus Smart in the backcourt as a starting point guard with Jaylen Brown returning to the lineup following a sinus infection. However, don't be surprised to see a two-way player in Waters get his second shot at meaningful rotation minutes in this matchup, particularly as a defensive pest against Young. Beyond Smart, the C's have limited speedy options to throw at the 28-point scorer in Young and Waters showed some great instincts on both sides of the ball in Walker's absence during his NBA debut back in November.

The timing of Walker's absence is far from ideal given the start of a five-game/seven-day stretch, but losing him for a matchup against the worst team in the league works out well from a schedule standpoint. The Bulls will be rested in Chicago on Saturday night and are playing better in the last few weeks, so that will be the far tougher test for this group if Walker can't go.

In the meantime, look for some defensive-minded lineups from Stevens off the bench as he leans on that end of the floor more in Walker's absence. The Celtics scored just 96.9 points per 100 possessions with Walker off the court in December but were elite defensively (94 points allowed per 100 possessions) in that window.