How the Boston Celtics can get by without Gordon Hayward in the playoffs

If and when Gordon Hayward leaves the NBA’s Orlando bubble in for the birth of his fourth child, what kind of position would that leave the Boston Celtics?

If and when Gordon Hayward leaves the NBA’s Orlando bubble in September for the birth of his fourth child, what kind of position would that leave the Boston Celtics in, in regards to the playoff run they’re poised to make this season?

With the NBA restarting their season on July 30th with a final eight regular season games, the league has made a rather detailed schedule as to when the playoffs should begin and finish. If everything goes as planned in the bubble (which is still completely unknown) the Eastern Conference semifinals should begin no later than August 30, with the Eastern Conference Finals scheduled to start no later than September 15.

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Depending on how far the Celtics get in the playoffs, and with the Hayward’s expecting their fourth child sometime in September, it’s fair to assume that Hayward will in fact be leaving the Celtics during a critical playoff series. Furthermore, since there is so much that is still unknown about the coronavirus, there is a chance that Hayward could be absent for an entire playoff series.

Even though these guys are professional athletes and we idolize them for being so, they also have families and real-world responsibilities that they need to take care of and be there for. That being said, there need be absolutely no hard feelings or remorse towards Hayward and his decision to be there for the birth of his child. Personally, I believe that’s something every parent should be present for.

Here is what he had to say about it in an interview at the Auberach Center last week with A. Sherrod Blakely of NBS Sports Boston:

"“It’s a pretty easy decision for me on that. I’ve been at the birth of every one of my children, and I think there are more important things in life. So we’ll cross that bridge when we get there. I know the NBA has a protocol for that type of thing, and hopefully I can do the quarantining and testing the appropriate amount of time and then be back with the boys.”"

The NBA has implemented certain rules and regulations as to how and when a player can leave the Orlando bubble:

If a player’s absence is declared excused, that player will have to quarantine for a minimum of four days when you return to the bubble, all while testing negative every day that you’re out of the bubble.

If the absence is declared unexcused, the player is required to quarantine for 10 days when he returns to the bubble, while again, testing negative every day that he’s out of the bubble.

Since all of the teams are going to be playing their games in the same Disney arena, the NBA is implementing a way to downsize the length/ stretch of the playoffs since there is obviously not going to be any traveling required in between games.

If Hayward does miss an extended period of time in the playoffs, how are the Boston Celtics going to fill the void of missing one of their starters?

Fortunately for the Celtics, they have plenty of experience this season of not having the opportunity to utilize their true starting five. And although Marcus Smart has found himself in the starting lineup more often than not for this very reason, he cannot be expected to provide offensively what he brings to the team defensively; it worked in the regular season but it will not work in the playoffs.

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When you look at the roster without Hayward, and in consideration of the playoffs, the Celtics are going to be forced to rely on their rookies more often than not down the stretch – which they’ve done a lot of this season. We should expect to see Grant Williams and Romeo Langford stepping up in the playoffs in a big way, pending Hayward’s brief departure from the team.

Both of these young, first-round draft picks were brought into Boston for the purpose of depth, but more importantly, their real-deal potential, capabilities and skills in critical moments down the stretch of a game or series; we’re going to see exactly what they’re made of.

The one downfall of not having Hayward is going to be the overall rotation. More likely than not, Smart will be starting in place of Hayward, but that also pulls him away from running the floor with the second unit, which in turn would force Brad Wanamaker into the first rotation with the second unit. It’s definitely a trickle-down effect that truly tests the depth of the entire roster.

When you look at it like this, each player on the roster is invaluable and honestly plays an important factor/ role in how far the Boston Celtics can get in the playoffs. All in all, we know that head coach Brad Stevens and president of basketball operations, Danny Ainge, are going to produce a high caliber playoff team come August and September.

It’s worth mentioning that Vincent Poirier is also expected to leave the Boston Celtics during the playoffs for the birth of his child as well.