Boston Celtics: Pros and cons of Gordon Hayward as sixth man
By Joe Hagen
Pro: Get that confidence up
As previously stated, when healthy, Gordon Hayward really is one of the prototype guys in the NBA. He has the whole package: size, speed, outside shooting, handles, athleticism, ability to finish at the rim and extremely high basketball IQ.
The perfect 2K player in many respects, Hayward has it all … which makes his struggles, while understandable given the circumstances, still a bit puzzling. He’s shown flashes of scorching hot outside shooting, athleticism with some rim-rocking dunks and his complete, well-rounded skill for the game with his multiple triple-doubles off the bench.
The problem is, he hasn’t it pieced all together at the same time, consistently. Clearly the talent is still there; no injury can take the skill out of an All-Star, max contract level player. With players in the NBA though, it’s hard to get their footing back when the league moves so fast.
That’s why it’s best for Hayward to play in the sixth man role — for now, at least. All players in the NBA are great, obviously, but it takes a deep skill-set and fundamental understanding of the game to be a starter for a playoff-caliber team. Hayward should flourish, with his talent and experience, in a bench role compared to the other bench players in the postseason.
Against bench competition and already tired starters, Hayward leveraging his skill into productive minutes for the Celtics could build much-needed confidence for the 29 year-old forward. If Hayward plays well in the coming playoffs in the sixth man minutes he’s allotted, Stevens will begin to trust him in crunch-time.
Hayward building that rapport with his coach and teammates as a person to depend on with the game on the line will be imperative to his individual development as he continues to bounce back from that devastating injury.