Stevens non-committal on Hayward rehab, replacement in rotation

Boston Celtics head coach Brad Stevens did not have much to say on where Gordon Hayward would rehab, nor who might take his minutes.

There are as of now no plans set in stone for what Boston Celtics small forward Gordon Hayward is going to do in terms of rehabilitating his sprained ankle, according to Celtics head coach Brad Stevens, nor are there any public plans to replace his minutes in Boston’s rotations.

Speaking at the team’s post-practice media availability on Sunday afternoon, Stevens related Hayward’s feelings on the worse-than-expected ankle injury.

“He’s a sad a heck of a season, and played really well here, but it’s the other ankle,” he explained, “the right ankle this time, and just one of those freak things.”

“It happens in basketball all the time, but I feel for him more than anything else. And it’s our job to make up for all the great things that he does by committee,” added the former Butler coach. “We will attempt to do so.”

How that might be accomplished is a matter of speculation at present, and likely will remain so given Stevens predilection for keeping such information close to the vest.

But the likely candidate for the bulk of his minutes will be veteran guard Marcus Smart, who should be able to slide into a more prominent role.

Forwards Grant Williams, Semi Ojeleye and Romeo Langford are likely to pick up the rest depending on matchup, and in the case of Langford — nursing a wrist injury of his own likely to need surgery at some point — health.

Hayward, who planned to leave the Disney NBA campus at the start of September for the birth of his next child, could stick around for a bit to receive treatment for his grade III ankle sprain — or perhaps depart the ‘bubble’ early.

No decision had yet been made, per Stevens; “I think we could certainly do a lot here but all that stuff’s to be determined,”

“We haven’t gotten into that depth of that conversation, but he’s bummed as you can imagine. You put in a lot of time and effort, and you do so for this time, for the playoffs. I think that’s what we all look forward to, and we’ve been really lucky thus far in the bubble to have good health and of course, Game 1 we don’t.”

“But that’s part of it, we’ve lived this before, and we’re going to have to have other people step up, and that’s why you have a team,” he added.

In this case, the Celtics can likely survive the short-term loss of Hayward, at least in the first round with a one-game series lead over the 76ers.

But even in this round, Boston is a turned ankle away from an early exit, their vaunted wing depth making the loss survivable at least in the short term.

Whether the Celtics can handle Philadelphia and any comers beyond them without Hayward remains to be seen, but the loss is not a small one.

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