Boston Celtics president and general manager Danny Ainge is concerned that the hype train surrounding Gordon Hayward's offseason is going off the rails.

Ainge told reporters–including Chris Forsberg of NBC Sports Boston–that the Celtics are merely excited to have Hayward feeling and playing like himself again:

Hayward's teammates were absolutely raving about him during team media day. New Celtics center Enes Kanter in particular was boastful about a huge bounce-back year from Hayward (via Forsberg):

“He's back. He's 100 percent back,” said Kanter. “He's going to shock the world this year.”

Kanter also noted that Hayward has dominated intrasquad scirmmages:

“When Coach puts us in 5-on-5 [scrimmages during training camp], I always try to sneak on Gordon's team,” Kanter told NBC Sports Boston after Wednesday's morning workout. “When I go against him I'm like, ‘Ugh.' He's good, man.”

Hayward has been everywhere this season. He made numerous appearances at the U.S. Open in Flushing Meadows, NY, and his name has been one of prominence as the Celtics prepare for a pivotal season in terms of their standing and development in the Eastern Conference.

The former All-Star has had a frustrating tenure in Boston. His debut season was immediately squashed by a gruesome leg injury, and the 2018-19 campaign was full of frustration.

Hayward averaged 11.5 points on under nine field goal attempts per game. He also had to adjust to a different role as the sixth man, and he took the floor as an undersized power forward.

However, his impact on this Celtics team is evident. Boston was undefeated (7-0, including playoffs) when Hayward scored at least 20 points.

Still, Ainge wants the fans (and especially the media) to just let Hayward play basketball. The rest, he hopes, will take care of itself.