The man can not catch a break, or so it seems.
Boston Celtics veteran forward has been revealed to have a grade three right ankle sprain with an estimated return of four weeks, according a notice published to the team’s Twitter account Tuesday afternoon.
Hayward turned the ankle pretty hard coming down from a rebound attempt on Philadelphia 76ers’ center Joel Embiid’s foot in Boston’s 109 – 101 Game 1 win against the 76ers Monday night, and would later leave the building in an air cast and on crutches.
The Butler product has been a key part of the Celtics’ success in the 2019-20 NBA season, and his loss absolutely makes the path to the NBA Finals considerably more fraught.
#NEBHInjuryReport Celtics forward @gordonhayward suffered a Grade III sprain of his right ankle during the fourth quarter of last night’s game against Philadelphia. He is expected to miss approximately four weeks.
Further updates will be provided as appropriate.
— Boston Celtics (@celtics) August 18, 2020
With his wife Robyn expecting their next child near the start of September, it seems likely the Indiana native will return to his home state to spend time with his and his wife’s family while he recovers.
Especially given he planned to leave the Disney NBA campus soon to be present for the birth of his child anyway.
The Celtics will need their bench to step up in a big way to continue the sort of run they hope to put together in Hayward’s absence, with few tested options to shore up depth in playoff-level play.
Gordon Hayward sprained his ankle vs. 76ers; severity still unknown https://t.co/vU9t4C2Ztj
— The Celtics Wire (@TheCelticsWire) August 18, 2020
And with wing Romeo Langford working his way back from a wrist injury of his own, even those players able to play are facing a tall order filling in for the Butler product.
We may see Langford, Grant Williams and Semi Ojeleye all vie for increased opportunity in Hayward’s absence.
But, it is more likely additional playing time will mainly be allocated to wings Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown, and veteran guard Marcus Smart in particular.
