Gordon Hayward Out For Four Weeks As Celtics Take Game 1

In the third quarter of the Celtics 109-101 Game 1 win over the Philadelphia 76ers Celtics, forward Gordon Hayward took an awkward fall going up for a rebound that caused him to badly turn his ankle on Joel Embiid‘s foot. Hayward stayed on the ground afterward and had a heavy limp going back to the locker room. Hayward did not return to the game, and it was reported on Tuesday afternoon that he would be missing four weeks with a Grade 3 sprain.

While on the surface this seems like a massive blow to the Celtics playoff chances, I think that is a bit overblown. Hayward, while being a productive and efficient player this year, has not been able to get back to the superstar status that he had before his horrific ankle injury in 2017. While he is much improved from last year’s campaign, he can only be described as a good starter that gives them a good level of versatility. I do not believe that Philly has the personnel to punish the Celtics since their only reliable scorer is Embiid and a series of catch-and-shoot players. Also, I imagine that Boston was planning for Hayward’s absence since he was expected to leave the bubble for the birth of his third child sometime in the second round. Four weeks puts Hayward’s return sometime in the conference finals where they will really need his ability to attack off the dribble if they make it, but I do not see the outcome of this series being greatly affected by Hayward’s absence.