What to monitor tonight No. 1) Gordon Hayward’s 3-point shooting
2019-20 has easily been Gordon Hayward’s best season during his tenure with the Boston Celtics. Averaging 17.2 points, 6.7 rebounds, and four assists on 50 percent shooting from the floor and 38 percent shooting from deep, the finally healthy small forward has proven to be an integral part to the team’s success and in becoming the Eastern Conference’s third seed.
And, since coming back from the season’s hiatus, it would appear his production has remained relatively the same, as he finds himself putting up 16.2 points, eight boards, and 3.4 assists. However, on this that has not seemed as sound since coming back to action in the bubble has been his shooting stroke, specifically from long range.
Aside from his stellar shooting performance against the Portland Trailblazers where he notched 22 points at a 60 percent clip from the field and a whopping 80 percent from deep, Hayward has struggled mightily to put the ball in the basket at a consistent rate.
Throughout the five seeding games played, the small forward is shooting a measly 25 percent from long-range and has logged three outings in which he didn’t convert a single triple — 0 for 11 when combining his attempts against Milwaukee, Miami, and Toronto.
It’s no secret that we believe the Boston Celtics have a legitimate shot of winning the 2020 NBA Championship. However, in order for them to accomplish this feat, they’ll need everyone on their A-game.
This includes Gordon Hayward and, more specifically, his long-range game.