The 2017-18 NBA season started this past Tuesday with two games. The Cleveland Cavaliers hosted the Boston Celtics, and the Golden State Warriors played against the Houston Rockets at Oracle Arena.
Both games were pretty close and went down to the wire to determine a winner. There were several stories, such as the Rockets upsetting Golden State, or Kyrie Irving’s return to Cleveland after he was traded to Boston during the offseason. But undoubtedly the biggest story of the night was the injury of Gordon Hayward.
The former Utah Jazz small forward joined Boston in the offseason and suffered a gruesome injury during the first quarter of the game. The diagnosis was not pretty by any means. Hayward suffered a fractured tibia and a dislocated ankle. The timetable for the recovery has not been announced yet, but we will tell you this. He is likely to return down the stretch, and there is almost no hope of him getting back to the court before the end of the calendar year. It was THAT bad. However, there is one player that might benefit from Hayward’s injury. And that’s the rookie, Jayson Tatum.
Tatum was considering one of the most polished scorers in the NBA Draft a few months ago. However, Brad Stevens wanted him to start the year on the bench as the backup for Hayward. But this recent injury changes plans for all the parties involved. To start, Tatum battled against LeBron James and the Cavaliers, but he did not disappoint. The first-year forward posted a double-double in his NBA debut after notching 14 points, 10 rebounds, and three assists in 36 minutes.
That kind of production is probably not sustainable. But his projections – both in real life and fantasy – certainly take a turn for the better with Hayward out. Tatum might not average a double-double throughout the season, but he can certainly score around 10 to 12 points per game while adding five or six rebounds per contest. That is not going to match Hayward’s output, but are solid numbers for a rookie.
Fortunately for him, he won’t have a big load on the offense. The presence of Kyrie Irving and Al Horford should make Tatum only the third or fourth scoring option in the starting XI. And let’s be clear on something. Not many teams can boast a first-year player capable of averaging over 10 points per game as a fourth-best scoring option. That speaks volumes of the depth the Celtics have on offense this season.
There is no question the Celtics will miss Hayward as long as he is out. However, Tatum can become a more-than-adequate replacement. And if he adjusts to the pace of the NBA quickly, then look out. Because the former Duke star can easily contend for the Rookie Of The Year Award if he receives enough playing time.