Leandro Barbosa Has A Torn ACL, Will Be Out For Season

Posted by Brian Robb on Feb 12, 2013 3499017 commentshttp%3A%2F%2Fcelticshub.com%2F2013%2F02%2F12%2Fleandro-barbosa-likely-has-a-torn-acl-will-be-out-for-season%2FLeandro+Barbosa+Has+A+Torn+ACL%2C+Will+Be+Out+For+Season2013-02-12+17%3A39%3A42Brian+Robbhttp%3A%2F%2Fcelticshub.com%2F%3Fp%3D34990

It appears the worst fears of the Celtics are close to being confirmed. After seeing Leandro Barbosa go down with a painful non-contact knee injury last night in Charlotte in the third quarter, it resembled an ACL injury given the fact Barbosa had to be carried off the floor by Fab Melo.

Now Steve Bulpett of The Boston Herald is reporting that while the knee is being checked out today with an MRI, the news almost surely will not be good:

More sources saying what we’ve already been hearing: Testing being done, but it’s looking like an ACL for Barbosa.

— Steve Bulpett (@SteveBHoop) February 12, 2013

 

Source on whether Barbosa has ACL tear: “They have to do the tests to verify it, but that’s what it looks like.”

— Steve Bulpett (@SteveBHoop) February 12, 2013

Just another brutal blow for the Celtics roster this season, as they lose one of their most explosive scorers coming off the bench who had excelled in the past couple weeks. Barbosa becomes the fifth Celtics player with a season-ending injury (Rondo, Sullinger, Wilcox, Green) in the past two seasons and puts the Celtics’ backcourt in a very tough spot in the short term with only three healthy guards on the roster.

So what happens now with Barbosa out?

First off, in the short term, look for the Celtics to sign a guard to a 10-day deal, maybe not by Wednesday’s game against the Bulls but certainly no later than the trade deadline next Thursday. The Celtics have a number of guard candidates with the Maine Red Claws in Shelvin Mack or Andre Barrett, two guys with significant NBA experience or they could look elsewhere within the D-League. Either way, the Celtics probably can’t afford to head out west with just three guards on the active roster for depth purposes, but there is also a possibility Ainge will wait until after the trade deadline to sign a 10-day deal to maintain roster flexibility for the deadline itself and any dealing that may occur.

Possible Trade Candidates?
If the team is looking for a long-term fix for the backcourt, they will surely test the trade waters for a deal. However, as is the case for any deal the C’s are looking for this year, there isn’t much they have of value to deal to find help on the trade market. Ainge won’t be dealing any first round picks for any short term fix and with only 10 healthy players on the C’s roster right now (including an unusable Melo) Ainge can’t afford to do much subtracting. Barring trading Courtney Lee or Brandon Bass for multiple bodies that can help fill the gaps in the front court or backcourt, I don’t expect Ainge to go this route.

Saying Goodbye to Barbosa
The Celtics have two open roster spots already but that number will grow in the coming days. With Barbosa just signed to a one-year deal, it’s almost a certainty the team will trade (for salary matching purposes) or release the speedy guard in the coming week to open up another spot for another guard. When all is said and done, the C’s one way or another will have 13 active players on their roster, but they need to be smart about fitting in bodies to fill those spots, since they’ll be cutting it dangerously close to the $74 million hard cap by bringing in three free agents.

Other Free Agent Possibilities
We’ll have more on these tomorrow in all likelihood, but if the C’s still decide to make a competitive run at he postseason, names like Keyon Dooling and Delonte West will inevitably surface, though I wouldn’t call either guy a likely possibility. There is more talent at the guard position than the front court has on the open market so look for the C’s to find some serviceable help.