Ahead of the game against the Raptors, the Celtics, who had already reached number one in the East, received bad news. That's when the team's starting interior lineman Robert Williams suffered a torn meniscus in his left knee and would miss at least a few weeks of games, which is undoubtedly a thunderbolt for the Celtics. Williams was injured in a game against the Timberwolves, in which Rowe sprained his left knee and withdrew directly from the game, before retiring, Lowe had a double-double of 13 points and 10 rebounds in 24 minutes of playing time.
Before the diagnosis came out, the Celtics and Lowe himself were very optimistic about his injury, and head coach Uduka said he didn't even know when Rowe was injured. But after the current injury results are finally out, they have to face the fact that they will lack the team's main interior defensive core in the following regular season. In this game against the Raptors, the Celtics, who were missing Tatum and Rowe, eventually lost the game in overtime, and the team fell from the hard-won first place in the East to the fourth place in the East.
Judging from the Celtics' games this season, Lowe is a very important part of their lineup. So far this season, Lowe has played 61 games for the Green Army, averaging 10 points, 9.6 rebounds, 2 assists and 2.2 blocks per game in an average of 29.6 minutes per game, and is one of the most indispensable players on both ends of the team, and his absence will undoubtedly have a great impact on the Celtics' next games. First of all, the main impact is on the defensive end. So far this season, Lowe has averaged 2.2 blocks per game, ranking second in the block list this season.
In addition to the data embodiment, the Green Army's defensive system this season has actually largely revolved around Lowe. In the first half of the season, the Green Army's form and record were very bad, at one point in 11th place in the East. And in the middle of the season, the Celtics played an incredible performance, they have played an excellent record since entering January, the team's ranking has also reached the top five in the East from the edge of the playoffs, and now there is a great opportunity to hit the first place in the East. And among them, their change on the defensive end is a very important reason.
According to statistics, the current green army's average block per game ranks second in the league, the average rebound per game ranks fourth in the league, and the defensive efficiency is high in the league. Among them, the presence of Lowe is an important factor. With excellent defenders such as Tatum, Brown and Smart on the perimeter, Lowe became the most important defensive barrier on the inside of the Celtics. Whether it's the opponent's defender breaking into the inside line, or the opponent's inside players in the penalty area, Lowe has created a lot of pressure on the opponent, and the average of 2.2 blocks per game is a good proof.
In addition, he is also one of the best interior players in the league to assist in defense. Although the height of 2.03 meters is not too high among the interior players, it also gives him the speed of movement like a striker, so that he can assist in any position on the court. According to statistics, there are 169 players in the league at least 500 times this season as the recent defender interfered with opponents' shots, and Lowe is the only player who can limit the opponent's shooting rate to less than 40%. He only scored 0.9 points per game, the league's best statistic.
As a result, Lowe's absence will reduce the Celtics' defensive intensity by more than one notch, just as in this game against the Raptors, they let the Raptors score a full 66 points on the inside line, shooting a whopping 58.9%, while the Green Army's inside score was only 52 points. In their game against the Jazz, the contrast between Lowe and lowes is very obvious. In that game, the Jazz, who had a very good interior shooting rate this season, scored only 48 points on the inside, and Lowe also delivered a full 4 blocks in the game. In short, after Lowe's injury, the Celtics' defensive intensity in the next game will be greatly affected.
Second, although Lowe's scoring average is not high, he is also an important part of the offensive end of the Celtics. So far, Lowe has shot 73.6% from the field this season, which means that in many cases, Lowe can do a good job of eating cake and scoring. In addition, his secondary attack also provided some help for the Green Army's attack. So far this season, he has averaged two assists per game, a career low. In the end, Lowe's blocking and dismantling also has great power, and when he misses the game, both Tatum and Brown lack Lowe's blocking on the offensive end, which will be greatly affected.
Lowe will reportedly be evaluating options for various surgeries over the next period of time, and he himself is optimistic about his return this season. However, judging from Lowe's injury, he has basically determined that he will be reimbursed in the regular season, and he can't even catch up with the first round of the Green Army's playoffs. Therefore, in the next game, the Celtics must come up with plans to deal with Lowe's inability to play. Judging by the current Celtics roster, Horford and Theiss will take on a lot of responsibility after Lowe's absence. On the one hand, although the former has turned 35 this season, he can still average 1.4 blocks per game this season, which has greatly contributed to the Green Army's defense.
After Lowe was injured, Horford had to take on greater responsibility for assisting the defense, which would be a big test for him as his age-affected footsteps moved slower. On the other hand, Theiss, who has returned to the Greens this season, has only averaged 15.7 minutes of playing time per game. Before Rowe's rise, Theis was the Celtics' iron-clad starting interior for a long time. Therefore, in the next game, Theis will undoubtedly take on a more important role, just as in this game he played 40 minutes. On the defensive end, Theis can make up for Lowe's gap to some extent, while on the offensive end, Theis has a more comprehensive offensive approach.
In short, the Celtics will be facing a very tough challenge at the moment, and they must find a way to fill the gap in The next game that Lowe is not there, otherwise they will become very tough in the playoffs.