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Boston Celtics guard Avery Bradley’s return will be pushed back until late December or early January.  Bradley, who underwent separate offseason surgeries on his shoulders after suffering the initial shoulder injury during the 2012 NBA playoffs, is expected to be a key piece of the C’s championship run.  Celtics coach Doc Rivers said in a recent interview that Bradley is not even close to a return. “I don’t like to put a time limit on injuries, but I don’t think you’ll see him before December — and there’s a chance it could be closer to January.”

During the offseason, the Celtics acquired guards Jason Terry from the Dallas Mavericks and Courtney Lee from the Houston Rockets, which will provide stability at the shooting guard position.  Both players are known for their offensive prowess, while Bradley quickly became known as one of the better primary defenders for the Celtics.  With Bradley’s prolonged return from injury, it forces the Celtics to rely heavily on Lee and Terry, while also relying on additional depth that was acquired from other offseason acquisitions.

Celtics president of basketball operations Danny Ainge said:  “We know there’s a possibility that Avery won’t be able to play the first month of the season, so we have to be prepared for that.  You never know how these things play out; will it be a month?  Or two months?  I don’t think it’ll be much longer than that, or he could be back sooner.  You try to build a roster where you can get by with any injury that can sustain you through a short period of time.”

The Celtics, who reached the Eastern Conference Finals before falling to the Miami Heat in seven games, believe that they are close to hoisting the NBA championship trophy once again.  However, with Bradley’s injury, it’s likely that the Celtics will have to rely on grinding out games.  And that’s only fitting for the Boston Celtics.