Most of the sports world saw the gruesome injury Celtics forward Gordon Hayward suffered just five minutes into his debut against the Cleveland Cavaliers. He was diagnosed with a dislocated ankle and a fractured tibia on Wednesday and he will need surgery, which means his season is likely done. The Celtics managed to come back but eventually lost against Cleveland. It was only game one, and many people have called the Celtics' season over already. How does Boston move forward knowing one piece to their big three is gone for the year?

A key piece

Hayward left the Utah Jazz to sign with the Celtics in one of the biggest moves this NBA offseason. Hayward was a star in the making, as he increased his points per game average over the past six seasons. His ability to shoot the three-point shot along with the mid-range, allowed Boston to space the floor even more. Kyrie Irving saw the potential Hayward had with the Celtics, which made him want to be traded there. Boston is losing more than just a player in Hayward. They are missing one of the leaders of the team, as Gordon proved to be one of the people who lead by example for Boston.

Head coach Brad Stevens spoke about the injury at Wednesday's practice saying "Obviously, there's a physical pain to [his injury] but I think it's also doubled by the emotional pain of, you know, he put a lot of effort into trying to start his career out well in Boston.

But this is a setback; we're expecting a full recovery." (Chris Forsberg, ESPN)

Moving forward

The Celtics realize it is only game one, and the remaining 81 have to be played, probably without Hayward's services. The Celtics shouldn't feel like their season is over as they are playing in the relatively weak eastern conference.

Even with Hayward out, the Celtics can place at least in the top four and that is a credit to their great roster.

Jaylen Brown stepped up big for the C's in Tuesday's game, putting up a team-high 25 points. Brown's confidence and athletic ability allow him to get in the paint and draw fouls, which allows kick out opportunities for teammates.

Rookie Jayson Tatum is also expected to play big minutes from now on and he played well Tuesday night, finishing with a double-double (14 points, 10 rebounds). Marcus Smart is projected to be bumped into the starting lineup, as he provides a defensive mindset to the Celtics.

The Celtics are still a young team, but missing a veteran talent like Hayward will definitely impact their them. Kyrie Irving now has to become "the guy" again, carrying the load in scoring. The Celtics were the Cavs biggest threat in the east, but did another team leapfrog them after this injury to their team? Will the Celtics be able to move forward and still manage to have a good season? The season has just begun so time will tell. Hopefully, Hayward will have a full recovery so he can join his teammates once again.