Last season Gordon Hayward suffered a brutal ankle injury in the first quarter of the first game of the NBA season. At that moment, it was a very real possibility that the Celtics flushed $128 million down the toilet on a player who was supposed to take them to the next level. Close to 14 months later, Hayward had his coming out party with the Celtics on the second night of a back-to-back against the Minnesota Timberwolves.
Going into the game, Hayward was performing well above his career averages in many statistical categories. While this was to be expected since he was essentially being integrated into a new team and missed all of last season, the Celtic early season struggles and inconsistencies left the fans restless and needing to see more from Hayward. On Saturday against the Timberwolves, Hayward did his best to put the Celtic fans at ease, putting up 30 points, 9 rebounds, and 8 assists, all while contributing to a Celtics win. Did I mention he did this coming off the bench, playing less than 30 minutes? Hayward is the first Celtic ever to put up such a stat line in less than 30 minutes played; when considering the storied franchise of the Boston Celtics, it adds a greater emphasis on just how special this night is. Since 1946, only two other players were able to accomplish what Hayward accomplished, Russell Westbrook and Giannis Antetokounmpo. That is amazing company to be in.
Earlier this week, Kyrie Irving told the media that he wanted Gordon to be more aggressive, to look for his shot, and to just be the player Kyrie knew that he could be. It appears that Gordon Hayward took that message loud and clear; the only question that remains is, can he sustain it? Celtic fans sure hope so.
