Boston Celtics: 5 takeaways from the 2018-19 NBA season
By Joe Hagen
3. After a full season, Gordon Hayward remains a question mark
Nobody better embodied this Boston Celtics’ season on the court than Gordon Hayward: big expectations going into the season, unpredictable flashes of dominance peppered in throughout the season, with long stretches of mediocrity to fill the gaps.
If that didn’t encompass Hayward and the Celtics, I don’t know what does.
Understandably, he struggled to re-acclimate to the physicality and speed of the NBA. Statistically, his numbers were as low as they had been since his rookie season. At just 11.5 points per game, he did not make quite the scoring impact he and fans had hoped he would make.
It’s not like he wasn’t useful, though. On a team with great playmakers and passers, Hayward totaled the fourth-most assists while playing only the seventh-most minutes. Considering Irving posted a career year in assists, Al Horford is one of the best passing big men in the game today and Marcus Smart has been a solid playmaking guard throughout his career, Hayward’s assist numbers were impressive given the circumstances.
When Gordon Hayward played well, it seemed the Celtics did, too. All six times Hayward scored 20 or more points, the Celtics won. In Hayward’s top 20 scoring games, Boston has posted a record of 16-4 (.800 win percentage) — way better than their season win percentage of .598.
What’s encouraging is four out of the six 20-point games came during the second half of the season, and every new game Hayward seemed like he had more and more confidence in himself. With an overall lousy season filled with just enough encouraging moments to spark interest, nobody knows what to expect from Hayward moving forward.