Rest days are rather common for NBA veterans leading up to the playoffs, but Gordon Hayward wants none of that with seven games remaining in the Boston Celtics’ schedule.
Hayward missed three games in mid-March after suffering a concussion in the Celtics’ win over the Atlanta Hawks, but returned in Sunday’s loss to the San Antonio Spurs. Hayward told reporters at Auerbach Center on Wednesday afternoon that, barring another injury, he’s good with playing the rest of the way.
Gordon Hayward asked if he plans to sit any games before end of season.
Hayward, dryly: "I think I did a lot of that early on with my ankle and all of last year. So I’m definitely, as of right now, pretty good as long as I don’t get another random concussion or anything."
— Chris Forsberg (@ChrisForsberg_) March 27, 2019
He’s clearly fed up with injuries and the rehab that comes with them, and who can blame him? The 29-year-old forward missed all of last season after suffering a gruesome ankle injury in the team’s season opener against the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Hayward is averaging 10.9 points, 4.4 rebounds, and 3.4 assists in 66 games this season, while shooting 45 percent from the floor. The Celtics will need him to be a consistent contributor down the stretch if they want to make another deep playoff run.
It sounds like an obvious note, but Boston is much more effective when Hayward shoots the ball well and scores at a constant rate. The Celtics are 4-0 when Hayward scores 20-plus points. They’re 11-2 when he scores 16 or more. The numbers tell it all when it comes to Hayward’s impact, but only time will tell if he can find some much-needed consistency.
