Although the Boston Celtics fans hoped that Gordon Hayward could end up returning faster than expected and play in the Eastern Conference playoffs, that won’t happen. Celtics’ coach Brad Stevens has definitely said that Hayward won’t play this season.
“He’s not playing this year. I don’t know what else to say,” – said Stevens.
Gordon Hayward broke his ankle in the NBA season opener against Cleveland Cavaliers and he was immediately ruled out for the season. Still, The Player’s Tribune video of Hayward practicing and looking well fueled the conversation about his possible return in this season.
“Sometimes when you’re in the midst of that long rehab, you don’t feel the progress of the day to day the way now we all might see a video or somebody that hasn’t seen him may seen a video and say, ‘Man, he really is getting better.’ But he’s a super long way away from even being on 1-on-0 workout where he’s cutting.” – Stevens added.
The road back with @GordonHayward.
Coming soon. pic.twitter.com/Rp4GT8zDkB
— The Players' Tribune (@PlayersTribune) March 2, 2018
Both Stevens and Boston Celtics president of basketball operations Danny Ainge previously stated that Hayward is making progress, but that he is still unable to even travel with the team on away games.
Gordon Hayward was drafted by the Utah Jazz with the ninth overall pick in 2010 NBA Draft. After a mediocre rookie season in which he didn’t play much, he started getting more playing time in his second season in NBA and his performances improved. The 2016-17 season was his most impressive one since Hayward averaged 21.9 points, 5.4 rebounds and 3.2 assists per game. After becoming an unrestricted agent in the 2017 offseason, he signed a four-year, $128 million contract with the Boston Celtics.
