In case you haven’t heard: Gordon Hayward isn’t coming back.
The latest reminder came Thursday when Danny Ainge said on 98.5 The Sports Hub’s “Toucher and Rich” that Hayward is making progress in his rehab but still won’t return this season.
“No, Gordon is not (coming back),” the Boston Celtics president of basketball operations said. “Gordon is in Indianapolis. He’s working with a running specialist, just to work on his running mechanics. I don’t know how long he’ll be there, but we’ll sort of take it week by week. He’ll probably be there for a few weeks, anyway. But he’s doing well.”
Hayward suffered a gruesome leg injury in Boston’s season opener — his first game with the Celtics — and hasn’t played since. Both Ainge and Celtics head coach Brad Stevens have said repeatedly Hayward won’t return this season, but the organization never released an official statement saying such — like it did when Kyrie Irving was ruled out for the NBA playoffs — and, believe it or not, there still are some optimists out there hoping for a triumphant comeback. It’s probably time to give up the dream.
“I’m not sure how fast he’s running now, but yeah, he’s progressing, he’s coming along great,” Ainge said. “But yeah, he’s not close to being back out on the court.”
The Celtics currently lead the Milwaukee Bucks 2-0 in the teams’ first-round playoff series, with Game 3 scheduled for Friday night at BMO Harris Bradley Center.
