Brad Stevens reiterated that they are not expecting Gordon Hayward back this season
Every once in a while, we get an update on Gordon Hayward‘s recovery, and then every gets excited. We have seen him hit shots from a chair, and now we are seeing him hit shots standing still. Everything looks like he is progressing phenomenally, and fans cannot help but wonder what happens if he actually does come back.
Unfortunately, the Boston Celtics have not wavered on their stance that he is not returning this season, Mike Gorman brought some excitement when he talked about how happy he was with how Hayward recovered, but Brad Stevens shut down that hope by saying “We don’t anticipate him being back this season” (Via MassLive).
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It is always hard to tell how these injuries will actually recover, but the sense the Celtics are giving off is that even if there is a chance that he will be medically cleared, they may not bring him back.
The Celtics will never rush anything, and if there is the slightest worry of any additional risk, they will make sure to do everything to make sure he is back at full strength. The Celtics have a great opportunity this season, but they know that opportunity will be better next season, even if Hayward is able to come back for the playoffs.
Keep in mind, the Celtics also need to anticipate an adjustment period from him. He will not have an offseason or training camp to try and get more comfortable and back into game shape. The only way the Celtics bring Hayward back is if they think he will get to his peak ability while playing, and that would be incredibly hard to accomplish, even if he is medically cleared.
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The Celtics have always been patient and the patient route will continue to be keeping Hayward out for the duration of this season, so he can come back next season ready to not only get back to his peak, but grow as he enters the best years of his prime.