Boston Celtics head coach Brad Stevens put a halt onto any talks of his star forward Gordon Hayward making a comeback this season.
Stevens noted how he has geared this Celtics squad to win now, not including their $128 million signing in it.
“My mindset is he’s not coming back,” said Stevens as a guest of The Dan Patrick Show on NBC Sports via Chris Mannix of The Vertical. “That’s the way we’ve approached it. Gordon and I have never had a conversation about him coming back.”
The former Butler standout was injured in the first game of the season, dislocating his left ankle and fracturing his left tibia during a horrific fall from a backdoor alley-oop play. Hayward was estimated to be out for the entire season, but his recovery in recent months has opened up some hope for those hoping to see him return.
Hayward played only five minutes in a Celtics jersey, as his team lost the season-opener against the Cleveland Cavaliers, and the next game on the following night against the Milwaukee Bucks — still recovering from the shock of losing the All-Star forward in such a horrifying and sudden way.
Yet the Celtics went on to win 16 straight games since then, taking a chokehold of the Eastern Conference, one that they haven't let go until losing the last two games against the Indiana Pacers and the Cavs.
Stevens has helped this roster compete without Hayward and management has done its best to reinforce it with the signing of center Greg Monroe after he was bought out by the Phoenix Suns.
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