Gordon Hayward out for 4 weeks with Grade 3 ankle sprain

The Celtics' string of good health in Orlando lasted approximately 43 minutes into the postseason. The team announced on Tuesday afternoon that Gordon Hayward suffered a Grade III sprain of his right ankle during the fourth quarter of last night’s game against Philadelphia when he landed on the foot of Daniel Theis while going up for a rebound. He is expected to miss approximately four weeks. A Grade III sprain is a full tear of an ankle ligament.

Hayward was already expected to miss some portion of the postseason for the birth of his fourth child in September, but this injury will wipe out his availability through the first round and the Eastern Conference Semifinals at minimum, if the Celtics are able to make it that far.

The bigger concern now comes for the Celtics in the present, as the series against the Sixers suddenly got a lot more interesting with no Hayward in the fold. How will the C's plan on taking on Philly without one of their top wings? Here's a first look at the trickle-down impact in the starting lineup and the Celtics' rotation as the C's try to spread around his 35 minutes per game.

Marcus Smart: Smart is already playing 30+ minutes, so he won't be taking much of Hayward's minutes load beyond cementing his spot in a closing five lineup with the rest of the starters. The one question Brad Stevens will need to ask though is whether Smart is the right man to go into the starting five or if he will be better served as a sixth man/ball handler off the bench. Smart will clearly be a big defensive boost to the starters, but would leave Boston's bench incredibly thin from a production department without him. The guess here is he gets the nod to start but Stevens will consider going with a bigger player (Grant Williams? Romeo Langford?) that could defend the Sixers wings and hide on offense a bit with so much talent around them in the starting group.

Brad Wanamaker: As one of the few reliable ballhandlers off Boston's bench, look for a sharp increase to his minutes (20-25 per game?) with Hayward out. He's going to have to run the second unit at times with Smart in the starting five and provide some 3-point spacing on the perimeter. His size is a concern against the Sixers bulk, but he has the trust of the coaching staff and that should turn into minutes.

Romeo Langford: Those wrist ligaments are going to be tested quickly for the rookie. He's the best defensive wing on the bench and that's going to be an area of need with Hayward's versatility no longer available. The worry with him is his offense/jump shot, but if he can provides steady defense against the 3-point shooting of the Sixers, he's going to earn a share of Hayward's minutes (10-15 a night).

Grant Williams: He played well in his brief fourth-quarter stint and has the size/versatility to hold his own down low against the likes of Al Horford and Tobias Harris. Like Langford, Williams' offense is a big concern thanks to his inconsistent jump shot, since it will allow the Sixers to hide inferior defenders on him.

Semi Ojeleye: A surprising DNP-CD in Game 1 stands out as the most experienced Celtic of this bunch. His 3-point shooting is far more consistent than Langford and Williams this season, but he's also a far more one-dimensional player on offense than both those guys. The Sixers will dare Ojeleye to make open 3s just like they are with Theis and that's a dicey proposition. However, Ojeleye does have some solid bulk to hang with the likes of Harris on the defensive end that could be appealing for Stevens in the starting five.

Final Thoughts

The guess here is that Smart gets the call in the starting five while everyone else on this list (Langford/Ojeleye/G Williams) get a share of Hayward's 35 minutes. It's going to be a night-to-night matchup thing for each of that trio, with Stevens seeing who steps up with some consistency out of the bunch. Whoever shows themselves capable of being more than a zero on the offensive end will get the lion's share of those minutes against the Sixers.