Boston Celtics swingman Gordon Hayward has been through the proverbial ringer over the last year or so. As most hoops fans know, the former Butler Bulldog suffered a fractured tibia and dislocated ankle in his left leg less than six minutes into Boston's 2017-18 regular-season opener against the Cleveland Cavaliers. Since then, he's been doing everything in his power to make a recovery.
By most accounts, Hayward will be well enough to play in the Celtics' season opener. The road to reaching this point, however, has been long.
In a recent interview with Brian Robb of BostonSportsJournal.com, Hayward, now 28 years of age, noted that sitting out was the hardest part of his rehabilitation process.
“It was the most difficult thing I’ve done,” Gordon Hayward tells Robb. “The hardest part of this process has been the mental challenges.”
Without a doubt, fans in Beantown are excited for Hayward's return — for good reason. The former No. 9 overall pick holds career averages of 15.6 points on 44.4 percent shooting from the field (36.8 percent from beyond the arc), 4.2 rebounds, 3.4 assists, and 1.0 steal in 31.3 minutes per outing.
Though Hayward was sidelined last season due to his injury, the Celtics still managed to finish with the best record in the Eastern Conference (55-27, 2nd in Atlantic Division). Kyrie Irving, Boston's star point guard, missed quite a bit of time last season as well. With both players reportedly recovered, the Celtics appear to be the favorites in the East once again.
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