The NBA's preseason is here and Boston Celtics forward Gordon Hayward is back in action. In his second game back from injury, he has shown flashes of athleticism, recording a highlight chase down block on Hornets guard Jeremy Lamb.
However, he almost didn't make it to the second half, not because of any injury, but because of fouls. He recorded five fouls in the first half, just one away from elimination.
As such, Stevens had a humorous outlook on the near-elimination, via Alexandra Francisco of masslive.com.
“The fouls, there was a small part of me that was hoping he'd foul out in the first half, I thought that woulda been funny.”
Stevens later added on a more serious note:
“But then it was good for him to get more run in the second half, but he's got to get to playing more and the one thing that that play does hopefully is that's a stay in the play clip to show when things aren't going your way. Especially in this building, to have a play like that, that can kind of turn the tide for you sometimes.”
After returning from such a terrifying injury, Stevens knows that Hayward still has to overcome the mental roadblocks involved in his comeback. That play is a step forward in the right direction.
To recall, Hayward had a heartbreaking 2017-18 season. In his first regular season game for Boston, tragedy struck almost immediately. While attempting to catch a pass in the first quarter, Hayward landed awkwardly on his ankle, breaking it in the process. The injury was one of the most gruesome in NBA history, and it cost Hayward the entire season.
Hayward has played in two preseason games now and is slowly working his way back to being the player he once was. If he can reach that level, the Celtics will become an even scarier team.
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