Boston Celtics: Pros and cons of Gordon Hayward as sixth man

Pro: Defensive versatility off the bench

If there is one thing the Boston Celtics can do better than anyone not named the Golden State Warriors, it’s leveraging their personnel to match up with any foe. In true modern NBA fashion, the Celtics have created a roster full of guys in the 6’7″-6’11” range that can switch across all positions.

Gordon Hayward fits in that mold, hand-in-glove. In fact, he’s almost the prototype of that mold, with the perfect blend of size, skill and athleticism. Hayward can feasibly slide into any position of need on defense short of rim protector, whether it be chasing spot-up shooters off screens or guarding bigger forwards in iso situations.

Defensively, Boston’s versatility skyrockets with Hayward on the court. Right now, the Celtics are best off starting a Twin Towers lineup: two traditionally sized guards in Irving and Marcus Smart, the similarly sized Jayson Tatum, and bigs in Al Horford and Aron Baynes.

Having Hayward off the bench allows them to counter mostly any move the opposing offense makes in adjustment to the Celtics’ defensive-minded big men, whether that be more size and shooting on the wing, or smaller, speedy guards. Hayward’s capability of defending mostly any type of NBA player makes the defense easily flexible and competent enough to guard the different offenses talented playoff teams can throw at them.