In the tidal wave of analysis regarding the Celtics moving on from Gordon Hayward, Sunday night was not a good time for those Danny Ainge supporters.
In Indiana, the Celtics were once again missing the scoring option and court presence that Hayward delivered, dropping a one-point decision to the Pacers while having to rely on Jayson Tatum isolations.
There was also the image of the two players Ainge reportedly could have had in a sign-and-trade for Hayward, Doug McDermott and Myles Turner. McDermott torched the Celts with 16 points off the bench while Turner provided the kind of rim protector that severely limited the offensive production of Jaylen Brown and others.
Conversely, Tristan Thompson, the big man Ainge chose over Turner, looked limited, actually sitting out crunch-time with Brad Stevens opting for Robert Williams as his go-to big man.
But that was only part of the painful story for Celtics fans.
In Charlotte, Hayward was continuing to make a superb first impression for the Hornets, leading Charlotte to an upset win over Kyrie Irving's Nets thanks to 28 point, six assists and seven rebounds.
Through three games, Hayward is averaging 22.7 points, 4.7 rebounds and seven assists per game while shooting 54.9 percent from the floor.
In fairness, it is just one night and one game with the Celtics still sitting on that trade exemption that might solve some of their issues. But that doesn't make it sting any less for at least 24-48 hours.