After taking advantage of his first full and healthy offseason in two years, Gordon Hayward is looking forward to a fresh slate.
Hayward recently shared an update on his website in the form of a blog post and discussed his excitement towards the Celtics’ new roster. Between the departures of Kyrie Irving, Al Horford, Aron Baynes and Terry Rozier, Boston’s roster will have a much different look to it during the 2019-20 campaign.
The 29-year-old feels this year’s team has already been counted out, adding that the Celtics have a “really tough squad.” But that all starts with point guard Kemba Walker, according to Hayward.
“Kemba is definitely a game-changer,” Hayward wrote. “The pace that he plays at, there’s not very many guys in the league that are as quick as he is, and can kind of find the seam the way he can. It opens things up for me. So I’m excited to get a chance to play with him this year.
“I’ve always had a good relationship with Kemba dating back to our first few seasons in the league,” he added. “It seems like we’ve always been around each other: Rising Stars games and All-Star games, and just playing against each other. We’ve had some battles.”
The Celtics find themselves in a luxurious situation by replacing one All-Star point guard with another. Walker, who averaged 25.6 points and 5.9 assists in 82 games with the Charlotte Hornets last year, is coming off his first All-NBA appearance. He’ll be the focal point of Boston’s offense from the get-go during his first campaign in green and should serve as a refreshing off the court presence following Irving’s roller coaster season.
Hayward is feeling especially confident coming into this season after spending the entire summer working out at the Auerbach Center in Boston.
