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 returning a month before the playoffs start.
Any longer, and there's a good chance Hayward won't play again in the regular season, or at all. However, if Hayward can return to practice by March, he could be active in time for the playoffs.
So what does this mean for the Celtics? Who, before this unfortunate injury, were actually favored to win the Eastern Conference according to ESPN's Basketball Power Index.
First, it would appear to force rookie Jayson Tatum into a starting role. The first year player from Duke had 14 points, 10 rebounds, and 3 assists in his NBA debut. He appears NBA-ready, so having him in the starting lineup won't necessarily hurt the Celtics too much. But as Tatum was one of the first players off the bench, Boston loses some valuable depth.
Fellow rookie Semi Ojeleye is currently the next player listed on the depth chart after Tatum. He went stat-less in 9 minutes last night, putting up only a personal foul and some missed shots. Terry Rozier and Marcus Smart will likely provide most of the offense for the second unit now. In his 4th season, Smart should be able to step up to the challenge. He had 12 points in the loss to the Cavaliers.
Next, it also means this really is Kyrie Irving's team now. When ESPN ranked their top 100 players, Hayward actually ranked 20th while Irving was only 25th. Boston's offense was going to be a balanced attack with Irving and Hayward complemented by Horford, Morris, Brown, and Tatum.
Now, it appears Kyrie Irving will get his desire of leading an NBA team. He put up 17 shots and played 39 minutes in the Celtics first game, second only to Brown who had to play longer in the wake of Hayward's injury. While there would have been competition before, Irving will now likely get the most shots on the team.
If Hayward returns just in time for the playoffs, or even worse, midway through them, this could raise some chemistry problems. If the Celtics offense for 82+ games runs through Irving, adding Hayward could throw off the balance and game-plan. Of course, Hayward's return would still be a net positive
for Boston, but it's unfortunate he won't get to build chemistry with the team over the regular season.
If Hayward cannot play at all in the 2017-2018 NBA season, the Celtics title chances take an obvious hit. Teams need all the starpower they can get when playing LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers, and Hayward is an extremely valuable piece in that matchup.
Without Hayward, the Celtics aren't much better than the team that lost in five games to the Cavaliers in last year's Eastern Conference Finals. Yes, they added Irving and Marcus Morris, but they lost Isaiah Thomas and Jae Crowder, so the net change isn't as great.
The Celtics were 53-29 last season, earning the top seed in the Eastern Conference. With the Cavaliers putting cruise control at times during the regular season, I think the Celtics would've won the top seed again, as well as 55-60 games. Now, I would predict 45-50 wins for Boston, and the 2nd or 3rd seed in the East.
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