Josh Richardson (migraine) to miss season opener against New York

Just as Boston Celtics fans were getting ready to celebrate Jaylen Brown’s return to the lineup, Josh Richardson is announced as out against the New York Knicks with a migraine. The Hospital Celtics will never die, will it?

The good news is that a migraine likely isn’t an issue that will translate to Richardson missing more games. The great news is that Aaron Nesmith and Romeo Langford really have stepped up since Summer League and are conceivably ready to fill that positional need if they already haven’t leapfrogged Richardson in the rotation.

Jaylen Brown, of course, returns to the starting lineup tonight after being described as being in surprisingly good shape after missing the last three of the four preseason games due to COVID-19. The Celtics will have an inhaler on site if Brown requires. Al Horford remains out as he gets ready to exit the Health and Safety Protocols and jump into post-H&SP conditioning. There’s no update on when he’ll be available.

The Celtics take on the New York Knicks tonight on ESPN in New York at 7:30 p.m. EST as they face off against a retooled NY team that now features a pair of former Celtics in the starting lineup – Kemba Walker and Evan Fournier. Even without Horford in the frontcourt, the Celtics are hoping that the de-facto top three players – Marcus Smart, Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum – will be able to step up to beat a division rival.

Grant Williams will step into the starting lineup alongside Rob Williams (who should help against a strong defensive team in New York).

Let the (hopefully healthy from here on out) season begin!