Celtics' Kemba Walker Still 'A Long Way Away' from Returning from Knee Injury

Boston Celtics guard Kemba Walker is still "a long way away" from returning from his offseason knee procedure, coach Brad Stevens told reporters Tuesday.

The 30-year-old underwent a stem cell injection in his injured left knee in October. He had struggled with pain in his knee throughout last season, which limited his performance—particularly in the bubble. 

Walker said he hopes the persistent knee issues are a thing of the past when he returns, but the team is not expected to give an update until January.

"It's definitely calmed my knee down a lot," Walker told reporters at the beginning of training camp. "Feeling really good right now. Just taking my time, trying to continue to feel good, get stronger."

Marcus Smart will serve as the nominal point guard with Walker out of the lineup, with Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum also taking on increased ball-handling responsibilities.