Boston Celtics DVOA, Stats, & NBA Rankings

Boston Celtics forward Jaylen Brown (knee) has been battling knee issues over the last month or so of the regular season. He saw a small decrease in minutes and even sat out of the final three games, which made him ineligible for regular-season awards. Head coach Joe Mazzulla confirmed reports that Brown received pain management injections in his knee, but he also said that he expects the former Finals MVP to be ready to go for Game 1 of their first-round series. Throughout the last postseason, Brown was given the task of guarding the other team's best scorer more often than not. He's extremely important to the Celtics' success, given his level of defense on top of his season averages of 22.2 points, 5.8 rebounds, 4.5 assists, and 1.2 steals per game.

Boston Celtics guard Derrick White (neck) won't play on Sunday against the Hornets. The Celtics already locked up the No. 2 seed in the Eastern Conference. Fortunately, this will allow the club to sit White and the rest of their core producers. As a result, Payton Pritchard, who had 15 points and 10 assists in his last start, should be a popular option for DFS managers versus one of the worst teams in the National Basketball Association.

Boston Celtics center Kristaps Porzingis (illness) won't play on Sunday against Charlotte. The veteran missed eight straight games in February and March because of an illness. He also sat out four more contests since returning for the March 15 win over the Brooklyn Nets. With that said, the Celtics have already secured the No. 2 spot in the Eastern Conference heading toward the playoffs, so Sunday's result won't matter. Al Horford (knee) also won't suit up, meaning Luke Kornet, who had 14 points, three boards, one steal, and one block in his last start, should return to the starting lineup.