Gordon Hayward is wrapping up his first healthy offseason in two years, and to say he’s confident would be an understatement.
With less than a week until the start of training camp, Hayward shared an update on his website in the form of a blog post, something he does every now and again. This one, however, should get Boston Celtics fans really excited for the upcoming season.
After rehabbing last summer following a season-ending ankle injury, Hayward said he’s had a “great” offseason “working and improving every day” at the Auerbach Center. The 29-year-old said now that he feels 100 percent and ready to go, “the reins are off.”
“On the court, I think that’s something that coach (Brad) Stevens was cautious about with me last year,” Hayward wrote. “He wanted to ease me into everything and make sure that I was healthy. Now, the reins are off. I’m ready to be the player I came here to be. That’s my focus. That and raising a banner at the Garden.”
Hayward averaged 11.5 points and 4.5 rebounds on 46.6 percent shooting in 72 games last season for the Celtics. He found more consistency toward the end of the season as he rounded into form, so expect to see a spike in those numbers this year.
