Boston Celtics: Why Gordon Hayward will continue comeback greatness
Boston Celtics star Gordon Hayward looked back to his All-Star form prior to his latest hand injury. That should continue once he returns in six weeks.
If Boston Celtics wing Gordon Hayward wasn’t on the path of NBA Comeback Player of the Year to start the 2019-20 NBA season, he will cement that status once he returns from his latest injury.
Bad luck or bad timing?
Whatever the case, any NBA fan has to feel bad for Hayward after he suffered a fractured hand just when he was getting back to form after suffering a gruesome lower leg injury just minutes into his inaugural season in a Boston Celtics uniform.
The bad news is Hayward is expected to miss six weeks after he undergoes surgery to repair the fourth metacarpal fracture in his left hand. The good news is it is not his shooting hand and he will be back well before the All-Star break.
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In the midst of an eight-game winning streak, the Celtics will be fine due to their depth at the position and with players like Kemba Walker, Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown and Marcus Smart stepping up to fill the scoring void.
Unlike the lower leg injury, Gordon Hayward should heal a lot quicker mentally as well. After he sheds some rust, there is no reason why he should not return to the 18.9 points and 7.1 rebounds he was contributing prior to the injury.
Though it’s a tough break for Hayward (no pun intended), it does give him some rest and a chance to watch his team play. That should motivate him even more when he does return to the court.
Related Story. One bold prediction for Gordon Hayward in 2019-20. light
"“I feel bad for anybody that goes through that,” Celtics head coach Brad Stevens said before Monday’s game, via Masslive.com. “But I said this the other day, this is not two years ago. He’ll be out for a little bit and hopefully surgery goes great and then we’ll figure out when he can come back. It gives you a chance — the silver lining, any time you miss games, is that you’re more fresh at the end so, at the end of the day, he was playing great but we’ve got other guys that are ready to step up and fill the void.”"
In fact, with the timing of his return, a fresh Gordon Hayward back at the level he was playing before the injury will be a great thing for the Boston Celtics, especially going into the playoffs.
With those fresh legs and playmaking ability he has, there is no doubt Hayward will be in strong consideration for NBA Comeback Player of the Year for bouncing back from the leg injury alone. Now, add the fractured left hand and this is one player who exemplifies what basketball toughness means.
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In summary, Gordon Hayward is down for now, but will be a strong addition for the Boston Celtics when the games start to really matter.