Boston Celtics: What To Expect in Gordon Hayward’s Return to Utah

 The former Utah Jazz star is finally back on the hardwood this season, averaging 9.9 points and 5.6 rebounds per game in 25 minutes per contest. He makes his long-awaited return to the salt lakes of Utah tonight as his Boston Celtics take on the Jazz in an early season showdown.

Gordon Hayward has been held to a minutes restriction as he continues to recover from the ankle injury that sidelined him all of last season for the Boston Celtics. His return has been a bit of a mixed bag from a production standpoint, as the former All-Star is currently shooting 40 percent from the field and 33 percent from deep.

Oftentimes Hayward looks timid and hesitant, settling for long jumpers off of ball screens in favor of attacking the rim. It’s abundantly clear that Gordon is a selfless player, but thus far he has been a bit too giving to his teammates, favoring the extra pass in situations that the team could use an aggressive play from arguably their best playmaker.

Entering this season it was anticipated that Hayward would not be the All-Star player he was with the Jazz two seasons ago. Recovering from an injury as severe as Gordon’s is a long process, and getting back on the court is only half the challenge.

It takes a ton of live game action to get back into playing shape both physically and mentally. The pace of play in an NBA game is already so swift that it is common for players returning from injury to be a step or two behind for the first month or so.

Hayward himself mentioned earlier this season that this was particularly troublesome for him.

"“Physically, I feel pretty good,” Hayward says. “But I don’t feel comfortable on the floor yet. It’s one thing to be physically able to do everything. It’s another to be a basketball player — the timing and the rhythms. When you’ve been playing a long time, you just know. But not after you take a huge break, and come back to a new system.”"

The physical part is something that can be solved with nothing but time and repetition. Hayward will soon be back to the player he was physically.

It is the mental part that could weigh on his shoulders and drag his production down longer. The fear of re-injuring that ankle is still very real in his head, which leads to the hesitation and lack of aggression we have seen thus far. It is entirely up to Gordon to determine how long until he let’s go of these fears and allows himself to become the elite two way player the world knows he can be.

The Return

Hayward returns to Utah tonight for the first time since leaving the team as a free agent in the summer of 2017. His final campaign with the Jazz was a memorable one, as he lead the team in scoring with 21.9 points per contest, on his way to his first All-Star appearance. He took his team to the Western Conference Semifinals after a stellar performance against the Clippers in the first round, ultimately losing to the Warriors in 4 games.

Gordon spent the first 7 years of his NBA career with the Jazz, who, needless to say, have played a tremendous role in molding the 28-year-old into the player he is today. So, when he departed from the franchise, there was (understandably) a significant number of mixed emotions and hard feelings. Some of his former teammates were bitter about the decision, while his head coach sent him well wishes on his new journey.

With Utah’s acquisition of the über talented Donovan Mitchell in last year’s draft, the Jazz have cooled on their divorce with Hayward. This will undoubtedly makes their reunion with the once beloved star an easier pill to swallow. The biggest question still remains- how will the fans receive him?

Gordon Hayward gave Utah and the Jazz organization everything he had in his time with the franchise. He poured his soul into that team, and was heartbroken when he made the decision to leave. Utah and it’s fans should welcome him back in the manner of which he deserves. Expect a warm and hearty cheer when his name is announced in front of the 19,000 fans in attendance tonight.