Raptors Rule Out Khem Birch With Right Knee Swelling

The Toronto Raptors will be without Khem Birch for Monday night's game against the Boston Celtics due to right knee swelling

Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports

Khem Birch's ailing right knee is once again causing problems.

The 29-year-old center has been ruled out for Monday night's game with that same right knee swelling that plagued him early in the season, the Toronto Raptors announced Monday morning.

Birch has missed 26 games this season with an assortment of injuries. The knee injury kept him sidelined early in the season before a fracture to his nose for him out of the lineup in January.

The knee injury has been a serious concern for Birch who said he's expecting to deal with it all season and potentially even longer. It requires constant maintenance, he said, and it's forced him to come up with new pre-game workouts to "active" the knee for game time.

Without Birch, Toronto will rely more heavily on Precious Achiuwa and Chris Boucher who have been phenomenal for a while now. The two don't offer the same kind of screen-setting abilities as Birch, but they're more versatile defenders who can shoot from behind the arc.

If Gary Trent Jr., who is listed as questionable but was seen shooting around at Monday morning's shootaround, can play for the Raptors, he'll likely slide into the starting lineup in Birch's place. 

Further Reading

Precious Achiuwa explains how Toronto's trust has helped him become a reliable three-point threat

Raptors unfazed by Scotiabank Arena fire & sudden suspension in blowout of Pacers

Chris Boucher explains how the worst game of his career changed his life