Boston Celtics forward Gordon Hayward returned this season after missing the entirety of the 2017-18 campaign due to a leg injury. The former All-Star signed a four-year deal with the team back in 2016, but his stint has been underwhelming, to say the least. He's struggled on both ends of the floor and he's been in and out of the rotation due to various ailments.

But over the final weeks of the regular season, Hayward has shown flashes of All-Star form. And in his latest article on his website, he wrote that he feels he's starting to play well, which is perfect timing considering that the Celtics will open their first-round matchup against the Indiana Pacers to start their playoff run.

Personally, I feel like I’m peaking at the right time.

It’s been a slow build up process throughout the year, and I’ve been working through a lot of continual exercises that are still going on. There’s this perception that when a player comes back from an injury, the rehab and the recovery is over. But that’s not how it works. I’m still doing rehab every day. I’m still trying to do stuff to strengthen my ankle and continue to get my proprioception back.

I certainly feel a lot more confident now than I did in September/October or even January/February.

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The Celtics are expected to play Gordon Hayward in long stretches because of the recent injury to starting forward Marcus Smart.

Smart is expected to miss 4-6 weeks due to an oblique contusion he suffered against the Orlando Magic a few days ago. This is the perfect opportunity for Hayward to prove himself to the team and its fans.

Hayward said that a deep playoff run is one of the reasons why he came to Boston. Well, it's time for him to play his part in helping the team reach their ultimate goal: the NBA championship.