Don't take this the wrong way: Gordon Hayward seems like a nice enough fellow and all plus he's a fine basketball player but can we agree that he will probably never have an injury-free season with the Celtics at this rate. Last night in Boston's first playoff game in the bubble against Philadelphia, he sprained his right ankle late in the Celtics' 109-101 win. This afternoon came the utterly predictable news from the team that he will be gone for around four weeks after suffering a grade three sprain. Keep in mind that the C's tend to undersell injuries to their players that ultimately tend to keep them out for much longer, remember Kevin Garnett, fat and over-the-hill Shaq, Kyrie Irving, etc.?
As I said in my recap of Game 1, the Sixers as they are currently constructed with duck tape and krazy glue pose no real threat to Boston other than making them play an extra game or two in the series that is totally unnecessary. Nope, Hayward's value really comes into play when the Celts take on better teams, like the Raptors in the second round or the Bucks in the Eastern Conference Finals (granted Milwaukee looked terrible in a shocking Game 1 loss to Orlando this afternoon). Generally speaking, we know what Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown and Kemba Walker will bring in terms of scoring and all-around play. The NBA is all about having multiple scoring options since the stars will have off-nights from time to time.
Moreover, Hayward's best quality is his versatility: he can dribble, he can shoot, he can rebound, he can defend and he can pass. Right now, his biggest issue is staying healthy and just being on the court. We'll never forget his gruesome ankle injury in his first ever game as a Celtic which now looking back feels like a sign of brutal things to come for him. Last season-his second in town-he played in 72 regular season games and this year it was down to only 52 due to a fluky broken wrist. Despite all the video games that he loves to play, I don't think it's an issue of conditioning or not taking proper care of his body. Unfortunately for Hayward, most of these injuries feel like nothing more than bad luck.
Yes he's overpaid and he has a propensity to disappear in big games and/or against quality opponents but he is not a complete scrub by any means. This season Hayward averaged 17.5 points per game (6 more than last season!) with a career-best 6.7 rebounds and 4.1 assists. He's also a trusted shooter at 38% on three-pointers and 86% on free throws. We all know what Marcus Smart brings: he's one of the best defenders in the league, a great energy guy and emotional leader of the Celtics. However, aside from his random hot streaks that happen once in a blue moon, he still can't shoot consistently well. Assuming that Smart moves into the starting lineup that also takes away Boston's best bench player while also making their bench even more of a liability which is another thing that could bite them later on this postseason. I'd like to say that I have confidence that Hayward will be able to return while the Celts are still alive in bubble playoffs but how could I? He's become Mr. Glass of the C's.
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