If we've learned anything from the Celtics these last few weeks, it's that timetables with injured players mean nothing. These things take time, undisclosed amounts of it to be exact, and they'll happen when they happen.
So it should come as no surprise that Jermaine O'Neal won't be making a decision on Tuesday after all.
O'Neal said Friday before the Celtics' win over the Bobcats that he had one medical appointment left before making a final decision on whether to undergo knee surgery this week, and then the decision would come Tuesday. But according to a report from Scott Souza of the MetroWest Daily News, the recent snowstorm in the Northeast has forced O'Neal to stay in New York rather than return to Boston and decide on the surgery.
Danny Ainge said that he had "heard Jermaine's perspective" on the surgery option but declined to comment further.
It appears that O'Neal will instead make a decision on surgery Wednesday, once he finds his way back to Boston. He said on Friday that if he does decide to go under the knife, he'll be out for 10 to 12 weeks or even more — but if he opts to fight through it, he'll be on the court Wednesday.
The Celtics take on the Detroit Pistons at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday. There's still a chance they could get something out of O'Neal, who has missed 23 of the first 40 games this season.
