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Gordon Hayward returned to court last season, but he was far from Gordon Hayward as the Boston Celtics signed for a maximum contract two summers ago.
Hayward was from all points of view a shell of himself in his first full season with the Celtics. The veteran striker averaged 11.5 points per game – his lowest score since his rookie season – and struggled to find consistency. At 29, he has sometimes shown flashes of his past star player, but he has often followed great performances with failures.
That being said, Boston surely knew that he was going to have to take his time with Hayward after his devastating injury of October 2017. Comfort is paramount for Hayward, and former NBA swinger, Matt Barnes , think this will be the key to the progression of the star a rebound season.
"Obviously, I've never had such a big injury. I had a meniscus tear when I was with the Lakers and I know from experience that the most important thing is to come back and trust your knee, your ankle, whatever the situation, "Barnes said Wednesday on ESPN, "The Jump". on the fact, you know, it's very likely that he'll be spraining the same ankle that he's broken. I know this does not forget: "I hope it will not happen," I first said on his return that you will not see the Gordon at which we are used to this season, because it takes time. This took Paul George and a few, and he almost won the MVP title last year. I really think Gordon is going to have a big season and the Celtics are going to need it. "
Barnes is right to say that the Celtics will need Hayward to improve his game in 2019-20. Hayward seemed to be a bit lost in the mix last season, as he re-fitted himself into a Boston-based team of high-end talent. In fact, some Celtics players from last season would think Brad Stevens has given too much importance to giving Hayward minutes.
But this is a new group based in Boston, many of whom believe he will not be able to defend himself legitimately at the Eastern Conference because of his relative star power deficit. But if Hayward can get back into shape, there is no reason to believe that C's can not be part of the mix.
Photo thumbnail via Greg M. Cooper / USA TODAY Sports Images
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