Signs have been pointing to Gordon Hayward being 100% physically healed and ready to return from his severe lower leg injury that he suffered on opening night last season.
Now you can see Hayward say so himself.
“I’m basically 100 percent (healthy). There’s certain things that are going to take time. I’m not 100 percent basketball-wise because I haven’t played in a year.” – #Celtics Gordon Hayward.
— A. Sherrod Blakely (@ASherrodblakely) September 13, 2018
While he physically may be fine, timing and touch wise it will take a little while into the season for him to knock off the rust of not playing for a year. Also the mental hurdle of getting his aggressiveness back after such a gruesome injury may take even longer than that.
It will be one of the more interesting subplots in the league this season to see how the Celtics are able to incorporate Hayward and re-incorporate Kyrie Irving after a 55-win season. Essentially a win in which they were one game away from the NBA Finals without either player on the floor.
The Celtics have a ton of talent to give equal opportunity to, but that is a great problem to have and if there is any guy who can navigate it seamlessly it would be Celtics Head Coach Brad Stevens.
I, for one, am excited to see Hayward back on the floor this season.
