Boston Celtics: How team could fill void left by Gordon Hayward

The Boston Celtics are going  to have a big void to fill without Gordon Hayward.

In the season opener, only six minutes into his career on the Boston Celtics, Gordon Hayward went down with a gruesome injury and he was determined to have fractured his left tibia and dislocated his ankle.

Without their number two scorer for most likely the rest of the season, what is left for the Celtics?

A depleted market doesn’t have much to offer

While almost all players have already made their moves, let’s look at who is available.

One player that might be able to help fill the empty roll of no Hayward is Mike Dunleavy. Now I’m not saying that he will fill the shoes left behind (or come close), but he could help with that hole in the roster now. He seems to have the potential be successful coming off the bench. His percentages are surprisingly good (.42% from three, .43 for field goal) his numbers are terrible (five points a game). These stats are taken from Pro Basketball Focus. Putting him on the bench might not be a bad place for him.

The return of Gerald Green?

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Gerald Green wasn’t too hot with the Celtics last year only averaging five points a game but with a good shooting percentage (.40% field goal, and .35 for three, taken from Pro Basketball Focus). Green could have a larger role now with the Celtics needing more help on the bench since they will have to move the roster around. He might not be the best choice either but if the Celtics are in desperate need of a player they could go for him.

Rising rookies

By far the most realistic option the Celtics have is to make the rookies and young player better. For example, let’s look at Jayson Tatum. He was the second rookie on opening night to get a double-double (The only other one was Larry Bird, and the numbers are eerily similar).

According to Boston.com, both of them had 14 points and 10 rebounds. Only time will tell if Tatum can keep up this work, but that’s a great start. Jaylen Brown also played well getting 25 points and six rebounds.

Next: Jaylen Brown is key for Boston Celtics this season

If Kyrie can help Tatum to focus and remain calm and Brown keeps this up, the Celtics might be able to make the loss of Hayward sting less.