The Boston Celtics lost more than just the game to the Cleveland Cavaliers on opening night, as small forward Gordon Hayward, a key acquisition this summer, suffered a devastating injury. Hayward was going up for an alley-oop attempt and came down hard, landing on his leg and not being able to get back up. Many initially feared Hayward had broken his leg, which would've have certainly ended his season. The official diagnosis that the Celtics have announced is a dislocated ankle and a fractured tibia , or shinbone. Dislocated ankles aren't uncommon in the NBA, and usually sideline a player for at least 6-8 weeks. The bone fracture poses a much larger threat to Hayward's recovery time, as it can take anywhere from 3-6 months to heal. CBS Sports talked with certified athletic trainer Jeff Stotts. He said in an absolute best-case scenario, Hayward could start rehabbing in about 12 weeks. This would be in early January, and give him a realistic chance of returni...
by Billy Sakmann, B.S. Sports Management '17