Boston Celtics: Gordon Hayward is not walking through that door

With the Boston Celtics making no moves at the NBA trade deadline, there has been speculation that the team is expecting a Gordon Hayward return this season.

The hope that Gordon Hayward will return to the court this season is at an all-time high.  With the current Boston Celtics struggles and the team standing pat at the NBA trade deadline, there is hope that help will come from No. 20.

Not so fast says Celtics head coach Brad Stevens.

While any version of Hayward would help the team in some capacity, Stevens is not depending on a return, even with the progress the star forward has shown in recent weeks.  The Celtics head coach put to rest any hope fans may have in an appearance on “The Dan Patrick Show” Monday.

"“My mindset is he’s not coming back.  That’s the way we’ve all approached it,” Stevens told Chris Mannix.  “Gordon and I have never had a conversation about him coming back.  It’s always been about how he feels and how he’s progressing.”"

Stevens has said this before, however, but Gordon Hayward was still in a walking boot at the time.  With him out of the boot and shown shooting the basketball like the Instagram post below, it is hard not to think it’s possible despite what Stevens says.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BePHENgHu6c/?utm_source=ig_embed

With a 40-18 record, the Celtics have been fine without Hayward for most of the season.  Following a spanking at the hands of LeBron James and the new-look Cleveland Cavaliers, it is apparent that the team does miss a secondary scorer like Hayward.

Dreaming of Gordon Hayward

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Perhaps, that’s where hope of a dramatic return by the end of the season steams from.  And the fans aren’t the only ones with Gordon Hayward on their minds. All-Star point guard Kyrie Irving recently opened up about his teammate prior to the trade deadline.

"“In a perfect world, man, Gordon would be playing right now,” Irving said, via ESPN.  “I think about the lineups all the time.  I know I play the what-ifs and it’s not necessarily positive.  But I play the what-ifs because I know how talented Gordon is and what he would bring to the table, and how much pressure he would relieve of me and also other guys on this team.”"

Irving went on to explain that not having Hayward right now while winning is like having an ace I the back pocket.  He knows the team will be even better once a healthy Hayward returns.

In the meantime, Irving and the Boston Celtics have to figure out a way to get back to the basketball they were playing earlier in the season.

Next: Boston Celtics: 4 teams in the path of banner 18

Like Stevens continues to reiterate, Gordon Hayward is not walking through that door this season no matter how good he looks in social media posts.