A 2-for-2 swap! Emergency fracture surgery! This is the Celtics' backup core player.

Just as Tatum returned, another Celtics core player fell...

The Celtics officially announced:Vucevic underwent surgery for a fractured ring finger and will be reevaluated after 3-4 weeks.Renowned reporter Stein stated that the Celtics expect Vucevic to return before the playoffs.

He was injured in the recent Celtics home game against the Mavericks (120-100), playing less than two minutes in that match.

Before this year's trade deadline, the Celtics sent Anfernee Simons plus a second-round pick to acquire Vucevic and a second-round pick from the Bulls.

So far, Vucevic has played 12 games for the Celtics with one start, averaging 21.7 minutes per game, contributing 10.4 points, 7.2 rebounds, and 1.8 assists, while hitting 1.1 three-pointers per game at a 35.1% shooting rate.

Vucevic, born on October 24, 1990, is a 2.06m tall center with a 2.25m wingspan. A two-time All-Star, now 35 years old and in a contract year, he willingly takes on a backup role for the Celtics, driven by a strong desire to win his first NBA championship this year.

The Celtics' current starting center is Queta, who stands 2.13m tall with a 2.24m wingspan. This season, he averages 10.1 points, 8.4 rebounds (3.0 offensive rebounds), 1.5 assists, and 1.3 blocks per game, with a shooting percentage of 64.5%, and a defensive efficiency of 105.5 ranking 18th in the league.

Back to the main point, with Tatum's miraculous return, the Celtics have become the most competitive team in the East.Their current record is 42 wins and 21 losses, firmly holding the second place in the East, trailing the first-place Pistons by only 3.5 games.If they can stay fully healthy during the playoffs, they indeed have a strong chance to return to the Finals and even win the championship again.

Statistics show the Celtics are one of the best balanced offensive and defensive teams this season: they lead the league in points allowed per game (107.0), rank second in offensive efficiency (119.9), third in three-pointers made per game (15.4), and fourth in rebounds per game (46.4), among other metrics.