Gordon Hayward’s decision to opt out of his player option with the Boston Celtics has proven to be good for his numbers.
The Charlotte Hornets forward is dropping 21.4 points per game, his highest averages since his final year with the Utah Jazz.
Because during his three years with the Celtics, the forward’s injuries allowed younger players to develop and rise into responsibility that should have been his. It was no fault of his own, but the fit was no longer right and he made the choice to leave.
And with half the season in the books, Hayward blogged about his time thus far in Charlotte, and what he found there that he didn’t have in Boston.
“When I signed, I envisioned going somewhere where I’d have more responsibility and could maximize who I am as a basketball player—or at least, have an opportunity to maximize who I am,” Hayward wrote. “I have that here. I have the ball in my hands more and I have more responsibility. That’s what I wanted.
“It allows me to be more aggressive. That’s been kind of a mantra for me my entire career and something that I think every coach throughout most of my basketball career has told me: I’ve got to continue, every night, to try to stay aggressive and assert myself. I did the same thing when I was in Utah, and, certainly, it’s the case here as well.”
Hayward, alongside Terry Rozier, seem to have a decent thing going since departing from the Celtics.
Meanwhile, the Celtics seriously miss his contributions on wing, but say they plan to stay put before the trade deadline.
