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Boston Celtics: 3 serious reasons team can win 2019-20 NBA title

By Randy Marquis

INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA - APRIL 19: Jayson Tatum #0 and Gordon Hayward #20 of the Boston Celtics celebrate after the 104-96 win against the Indiana Pacers in game three of the first round of the 2019 NBA Playoffs at Bankers Life Fieldhouse on April 19, 2019 in Indianapolis, Indiana. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that , by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images)
INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA - APRIL 19: Jayson Tatum #0 and Gordon Hayward #20 of the Boston Celtics celebrate after the 104-96 win against the Indiana Pacers in game three of the first round of the 2019 NBA Playoffs at Bankers Life Fieldhouse on April 19, 2019 in Indianapolis, Indiana. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that , by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images) /
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Boston Celtics Gordon Hayward (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images) /

Gordon Hayward: X-Factor

By any measure, Gordon Hayward’s first full season as a Boston Celtic was, shall we say, underwhelming. Coming off his first all-star season with Utah, Hayward, along with Irving and Horford, was expected to be a key part of Boston’s next big three and lead the drive to hang banner #18.

Five minutes into his first game in green, however, everything changed. Hayward broke his leg and, in many ways, the Celtics franchise has been broken ever since. And now Hayward is the lone player standing, with Horford and Irving now Eastern Conference rivals instead of teammates.

Still, towards the end of last season, Hayward showed flashes of the player he used to be. Those flashes were too infrequent to save the team from themselves as they were unceremoniously bounced from the playoffs by the Bucks. But with a full offseason of “no restrictions,” Hayward enters this year ready to prove himself all over again.

Let’s not forget, even though Hayward struggled in many facets of his game last season, there were signs that an elite level player still lurked beneath the struggles. While Hayward struggled to find his three point shooting stroke, his free throw shooting, rebounding and passing all remained roughly near his previously established levels.

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While Paul George was younger when he suffered a similarly gruesome injury, Celtics fans can find hope in his recent MVP level performance that Hayward, too, will once again find his own all-star form. And along with Walker and Tatum, the Celtics may again find themselves with a new big three and a new path to an NBA championship.

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