Kyrie Irving may be the biggest name on the Boston Celtics. Al Horford may be the team's best all-around player. Jayson Tatum may be the best young talent. Marcus Smart may be the best defender.
But the Celtics' X-factor heading into the playoffs is Gordon Hayward.
You know, the guy Boston signed to a massive long-term deal during the summer of 2017, only to see him suffer a gruesome leg injury on opening night of last season that knocked him out for the entire 2017-18 campaign.
Hayward spent all of last season and all summer working his way back, finally getting back on the court for preseason ball and showing some flashes of brilliance during the Celtics' season-opening win over the Philadelphia 76ers back in October.
Not only was Hayward not dunking, but he wasn't even getting any lift on his jump shot, resulting in him clanking countless open looks. And defensively? Forget about it. Hayward was a complete liability on that end of the floor, as it was almost like he was running with cement shoes.
Sure, he had some moments, like his pair of 30-point performances against the Minnesota Timberwolves, but for the most part, Hayward looked like a lost cause.
But at the beginning of February, Hayward began to look like a different player. In the Celtics' first game of the month against the New York Knicks, the 28-year-old threw down an alley-oop slam in transition that likely even surprised himself.
That was a clear indication that Hayward was, slowly but surely, making his way back. And now, here we are in early April, about a week before the start of the playoffs, and the former All-Star is seeming to find his groove at the perfect time.
In February, Hayward averaged 11.9 points per game, a modest number, but he shot 51.2% from the floor and 44.4% from 3-point range, a stark improvement from previous months.
Then, in March, Hayward shot a ridiculous 55.2% from the field, and while his 3-point percentage dipped to 32%, his increase in aggression and taking the ball to the hoop was becoming more and more apparent.
Through two April games, it has been more of the same for Hayward. During Wednesday night's win over the Miami Heat, Hayward finished with 25 points and went 12-of-13 from the free-throw line, as the versatile forward was in attack mode all evening.
Hayward has now scored in double figures in six straight games, which is the first time he has done that all season. He is looking for his own shot more than ever before, and perhaps even more importantly, he is gaining confidence on the defensive end, as his performance against the Heat was also littered with great defensive plays that he simply was not making three or four months ago.
Hayward's sudden resurgence is outstanding news for the Celtics and bad news for the Eastern Conference, as he is now providing Boston with another go-to scorer entering the most important time of the year.
The fact that Hayward is now scoring the basketball and is attacking the basket will not only take some pressure off of guys like Irving and Tatum, but it will also open up Hayward's facilitating game. Opposing defenses will now have to respect his ability to score the rock, meaning they can no longer sag off of him and dare him to beat them on his own.
Also, when the C's signed Hayward, they were expecting him to bring some defensive versatility to the table. While he has never been Tony Allen on that end of the floor, he was always pretty solid during his Utah Jazz days, mainly due to his length and underrated athleticism.
Now that Hayward is getting more and more comfortable, he is getting better and better on the defensive end, meaning the Celtics no longer have to worry about opponents taking advantage of him. Plus, he can now effectively guard multiple positions, which is especially important.
All season long, Boston has been waiting for Hayward to get to this point, and everyone knew that if he was able to regain his footing and rediscover his All-Star level game he had in Utah, the C's would become lethal.
The Celtics had the No. 1 scorer in Irving. They had the all-around force in Horford. They had the ferocious defender in Smart. They just needed Hayward to step up and be something even close to the player they envisioned when they signed him two summers ago.
He certainly isn't at the level he was in 2017 just yet, but little by little, he is getting closer and closer, and it could not come at a better time.
Boston will likely end up as just a No. 4 or 5 seed in the Eastern Conference, but this remains a team that can make the Finals, and Hayward's revival might end up being the main reason.
Do not be the least bit surprised if Gordon Hayward ends up winning this Celtics team a playoff series.
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