Boston Celtics: Projecting Gordon Hayward’s second half of the season

Gordon Hayward’s return from last season’s devastating injury has been a slow trek back to form. The first half of the 2018-19 season has been marred with inconsistencies as the Boston Celtics and Hayward look to build on the positives and move into the playoffs with a sustainable, winning formula.

There are very few people in professional sports that can take nearly an entire season off and return back to form the very next year. For the NBA, two star wings missed the 2017-18 season due to injuries (and some behind-the-scene things as well) in Gordon Hayward and Kawhi Leonard.

While each player’s 2017-18 season looked relatively similar (Kawhi only played a handful of games before returning to injury rehab mid-season, Hayward only a few minutes), their 2018-19 season is night and day.

Leonard is leading the second place Toronto Raptors to 36-13 record, scoring a career-high 27.6 points per game, and has already added a few signature games to his already illustrious career.

Hayward, on the other hand, has lost his spot in the starting rotation as the Boston Celtics, labeled as the team to dominate the East coming into the season, have floundered to fifth place in the standings.

It would be absolutely foolish not to acknowledge the difference in injury. One was a lingering quad issue that may or may not have been used to hold his team hostage in trade demands, and the other was a horrific ankle injury that required Hayward to undergo major reconstructive surgery.

It is not fair to compare the two, but, understandably, fans got giddy with excitement as Hayward’s return loomed and now may feel let down by their own premature hopes for his comeback.

While Boston fans have to check their expectations for Hayward’s statistical output, it is fair to challenge him to build on the positives of what he has done this season and improve on the negatives as he continues to work his way back to his old self.

Where Hayward has seen his most success this season has been the Celtics’ two games against the Minnesota Timberwolves.

On Dec. 1’s win against Minnesota, Hayward dropped 30 points, nine rebounds and eight assists while going 8-for-16 from the field, including 4-for-5 from 3. A month later, Jan. 2‘s battle against Karl-Anthony Towns and co., he went for 35 points and five assists en route to a Celtics win, shooting 14-for-18 from the field and 4-for-7 from downtown.

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Hayward’s success in these games can be attributed to his aggression and activity on both ends of the floor. Brad Stevens’ insertion of Hayward to the second unit makes him probably the most talented bench player in the league, and when he plays like that, the Celtics benefit greatly.

The Gordon Hayward the Utah Jazz employed was an offensive dynamo that could get into the paint with ease, use his athleticism to get to the rim and either finish or elevate and find open teammates for the kick out. When defenses would clamp down on his drives, he would fire away with his outside shooting touch.

That was the Hayward the Celtics got in those games against the Timberwolves. His presence in the paint and finishing ability torched a so-so Minnesota defense. His teammates opened the floor up for him with their shooting, and when Hayward himself got open looks from the outside, he let them fly with confidence.

As the season wears on for Hayward, he needs to play more like this. Of course, asking him to average 30-plus points and over five assists a night is not reasonable. Still, the general blueprint for his individual — and in turn, the team’s — success lies in his confidence in his ability to make plays out of nothing.

Confidence is the key word here. He needs confidence in his ankle. He needs confidence in his footing when he attacks the rim, around a crowd of people.

That will have to come with time. It can’t be rushed, and there is no timetable for when he returns to the Hayward of old – mentally and physically.

His basketball ability is evident even while he struggles to rediscover his stride. His effective field goal percentage is 48.8, he’s canned 84.4 percent of his free throws and he’s averaging 3.5 assists per game from the wing.

His career 3-point shooting has always been above-average, so there is plenty of reason to think his 32.3 percent will rise.

It just starts with his willingness to drive, shoot and create from the floor. With his extended run on the second unit, he needs to take advantage of the lesser competition and go into his full bag of offensive tricks.

While Hayward has understandably struggled statistically in the first half of the season, the Celtics need to see his numbers improve in the second half.

While he is currently averaging 10.9 points per game, Hayward should improve that number as he grows more comfortable with his game and the level of competition he faces. He is already doing a good job playmaking from the wing, but the shooters on the second unit will benefit if he begins to attack the paint more, forcing defenses to collapse before kicking it out.

When Gordon Hayward runs the second unit’s offense, each player surrounding him is in the best position to utilize their skills. Terry Rozier is an excellent one-on-one player for a backup point guard, and can torch his man if given the space by a capable playmaker. Jaylen Brown is a great spot-up shooter who utilizes backdoor cuts and will benefit from more touches by a cerebral passer such as Hayward. Aron Baynes and Daniel Theis both work well out of the pick-and-roll/pop with Hayward, who can either score himself or draw the defense and pass out.

An aggressive Gordon Hayward will only improve the Celtics; record. As he regains confidence in his game and his body, Boston will become so much more dangerous with top level players that play across the spectrum of ball-handlers, wings and bigs.

Injuries are fickle and recovery takes a different amount of time for different people. The Celtics do not need Hayward to be what he was in Utah immediately. They do, however, need to see signs of him getting his feel for the game back. For the playoffs and the future, the little things Hayward works on in the latter half of this season will pay dividends down the line.