Kris

Joseph

Joseph, the Celtics second-round pick from the 2012 draft, injured his knee and did not return to the game. The Celtics have to be hoping that the injury is not serious, but we’ll have an update when one becomes available.

Joseph is a solid spot-up shooter (35 percent from downtown last season), and he has good size at 6'7", 220 lbs. He’s an aggressive, slashing offensive player who led Syracuse in scoring as a senior, and it’s possible he’ll fight for minutes on the Celtics’ bench -- at the moment Boston only has a handful of players under contract.

Joseph had previously hyperextended his knee but is clearly fine and the injury shouldn’t be an issue from here on out. For what it’s worth, Doc Rivers called the rookie “better than advertised.”

Joseph, the No. 51 overall pick in the draft by the Celtics, should compete for minutes in the rotation right away. It wouldn’t be surprising to see him initially get more playing time than some of the other second-round picks from the 2012 class.

Boston currently has 16 players under contract, but it sounds as if Joseph will safely land on the Celtics heading into the 2012-13 campaign. Joseph will offer no fantasy value during his rookie season after the C’s reloaded on the wing in free agency.

Smith is competing with Dionte Christmas and Kris Joseph for a roster spot, and it would be considered an upset if Smith made it over either player.

Joseph was the second-round pick of the team in 2012 while the other two were undrafted free-agent signings. The real battle is between Joseph and Christmas, as Smith is highly unlikely to make the final cut.

“One thing he has a knack for is his rebounding,” Rivers said. “It’s unbelievable for his position.” Despite the praise, Joseph will be lucky not to be wearing a suit on the bench during the regular season.

He’s expected to be active on Friday but could be sent back to the D-League at any point.

Christmas’ contract calls for approximately half of his minimum salary to be guaranteed, so that’s going to play a major role in the team’s decision-making process considering the Celtics are hard-capped at $74.3 million. As things stand right now, it appears Christmas has a better chance of making the roster than second-round pick Kris Joseph.