Gordon Hayward's return from his gruesome injury suffered in game one of last season was a major setback for the Boston Celtics. He missed his entire first season with the Celtics and his second season was off to a slow start. Brad Stevens admits the road back hasn't been easy.

“This has not been easy for him,” Celtics head coach Brad Stevens said to Tom Westerholm of MassLive. “All he's done is grit his teeth, been a great teammate and worked hard. I think there's a lot to be said about that. The year didn't start the way he wanted to. He's not starting. But I think that he has helped set the example for what this team needs to be about and I think hopefully we can build off it.”

Brad Stevens mentions Hayward's move to the bench. Hayward's season was off to a rocky start so he and the team decided to move him to the bench. Hayward made the move without any hesitation and it looks like it's paying off.

Hayward turned in what was his best game of the season by far on Saturday. The swingman went off for 30 points, nine rebounds, and eight assists. It was the type of breakout performance that Celtics fans have been waiting for.

If Hayward can right the ship, it will go a long way towards getting Boston back on track. The Celtics were one of the presumptive favorites in the Eastern Conference, but they haven't played like it. Perhaps Saturday was the start of something special for Brad Stevens and the Celtics.