In many cases, NBA players go their separate ways during the offseason. Some will go on vacation, while others choose to work with their own personal trainers. This offseason has been a bit different for the Boston Celtics, according to head coach Brad Stevens, as Gordon Hayward has been working at the team's practice facilities with several of his teammates.
According to John Karalis of MassLive.com, Stevens pointed out the fact that Hayward is changing the offseason tradition:
“In the past we’ve had a lot of guys all over the country,” Brad Stevens said during a charity appearance at Children’s Hospital. “This year it seems like more people have made Boston a central location for where they want to be, and I think Gordon had a lot to do with that.
“He sat down with our strength and our coaches and said ‘this is what I want to do this summer. I’m going to stay here,’” Stevens added. “I think when some of your older guys do that, it sets a good standard for everybody.”
As most hoops fans know, Hayward suffered one of the more gruesome injuries in recent history during Boston's 2017-18 season opener against the Cleveland Cavaliers. He worked extremely hard to recover, making his way back onto the floor last season.
In his 72 regular-season appearances with the Celtics last season, Hayward racked up averages of 11.5 points on 46.6 percent shooting from the field (33.3 percent from beyond the arc), 4.5 rebounds, 3.4 assists and just under one steal (0.9) in 25.9 minutes per outing.
The Celtics finished the 2018-19 regular-season campaign with a 49-33 overall record, which earned the team a No. 4 seed in the Eastern Conference. Unfortunately, though, Boston was defeated by the Milwaukee Bucks in the second round, 4-1.
Let's see if Hayward's offseason work with his teammates pays off after a disappointing 2018-19 season.
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