Boston Celtics forward Gordon Hayward missed all but a few minutes of last season, but a video of the star dunking during a workout gives optimism to Celtics fans.
Gordon Hayward, wing for the Boston Celtics, hasn’t stepped on an NBA court in ten months due to a gruesome leg injury. But he’s been hard at work in rehab to return to form. Hayward suffered the injury within minutes of the Celtics first game against the Cleveland Cavaliers last October. But if you check out this clip of Hayward below, it’s apparent Hayward is looking to make that episode a distant memory.
Hayward drove to his right against a defender during a workout and dunked on him. Yes, it’s only a drill, but it’s still a good sight to see.
https://twitter.com/SportsCenter/status/1029347963737448449?s=20
Drew Hanlen, the man responsible for training Hayward and a plethora of NBA players, gave insight into his progress, in an interview with HoopsHype.
"He’s doing really well. He’s up to full-speed workouts now, so he’s able to cut and play and do everything; there are no limitations in his workouts. Then, in the next week or two, he’s going to be able to start competing again, which is awesome because then we can begin to make adjustments and do stuff as he starts playing live – that’s super important so we can make sure everything we’re working on translates into games."
With a healthy Hayward and Kyrie Irving in tow, it’s safe to say the Celtics are now the preeminent team in the East, especially with LeBron out west. The Celtics have two of the NBA’s best stars in Hayward and Irving, coach in Brad Stevens, center Al Horford and young stars in Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown and Terry Rozier. With this much talent stocked, Hayward can be the missing piece the team needed last year.