Paul Pierce believes losing Hayward could doom Boston Celtics bench

The Boston Celtics lost their fourth scoring option, but Gordon Hayward’s injury could have a big-time impact on the second unit…and ultimately be their undoing.

Paul Pierce had some harrowing words regarding the Boston Celtics’ chances of escaping out of the Eastern Conference after Gordon Hayward’s ankle injury that will keep him out of the C’s lineup for at least the next month:

"“I think it’s a huge blow. When you look down at that roster, there’s not much depth – Marcus Smart, Enes Kanter… The bench scored 8 points in Game 1. You know how much they won by? Eight points,” Pierce said during an appearance on ESPN’s “First Take” Wednesday morning.“I had the Celtics coming out of the East because the way I see it, when you look at it now, the East is wide open…”"

It’s never a good look when the greatest modern legend in your franchise victory–and one of their most notorious onscreen virtual bubble fans–isn’t bullish on their chances of escaping the Eastern Conference in the slightest after losing a key player in Hayward.

As Pierce notes, replacing him won’t be easy:

"“This guy is the fourth option. They need that 17 (points). What other fourth options around the league are giving you 17 points a game and could potentially be an All-Star again when right?” Pierce added. “You need a guy like this. You got Kemba (walker), Tatum and Brown. Those are the guys. His role is going to be his role… He’s the perfect complement to what they need.”“That’s a critical blow for them to lose that point production, a guy who can spread the floor, who can knock down shots, a guy who can get the ball and play pick-and-roll. Yes, (Jayson) Tatum and (Jaylen) Brown’s numbers will go up, but I think with his injury, it’s going to level the playing field with Philadelphia. They didn’t win by much and the Celtics don’t have a deep bench, so this series could be a long series for Boston.”"

What do you think C’s fans? Can Boston survive without Hayward?

Have a say in the comments section below!