The Celtics hope for Gordon Hayward’s consistency

Guide to the trash.

Pull-up sweaters.

Rebounds followed by end-to-end dribbling for what ends up in a bucket for himself or a teammate.

NBA season being put on pause back in March, a player that looked, played and impacted the game in a way that served as a reminder to all just how big a difference-maker he can be on any given night. " data-reactid="23">That’s the fact that Gordon Hayward Boston Celtics fans saw before the NBA season was paused in March, a player who watched, played and influenced the game in a way that was a reminder for everyone how big both a creator of differences can be in a certain night.

This is why the Celtics remain cautiously optimistic about Hayward’s potential impact on the team as they prepare for their first game during the second half of the season, against Friday’s Milwaukee Bucks.

Boston’s three scrimmages were nothing more than glorified practices for Hayward and company, so there is really nothing significant to draw from it.

NBA's stoppage of play, was delivering at an elite level despite the small sample size. In those two games, he averaged 25.5 points to go with 7.5 rebounds, 4.5 assists, 1.5 steals and 1.5 blocks while shooting 50 percent (19-for-38) from the field along with being just as lethal (7-for-14) from 3-point range. " data-reactid="27">But it could not be ignored that Hayward, at least in the last two games of the Boston regular season before the NBA stopped playing, was delivering to an elite level despite the small size of the champion. In those two games, he averaged 25.5 points to go on with 7.5 rebounds, 4.5 assists, 1.5 steals and 1.5 blocks while firing 50 percent (19 by 38) from the field and it was equally lethal (7 times 14) from a 3 point interval.

That strong ending came after what had been a solid season for the attacking veteran.

The former All-Star has appeared in 45 games (all starts) this season, averaging 17.3 points, 6.5 rebounds and 4.1 assists while shooting 50.2 percent off the field and 39 , 2 percent from 3 points. All those numbers except for the games played (he appeared in 72 games during the 2018-2019 season), are the best numbers published by Hayward since he became a Celtic.

But as we’ve seen from strong Hayward limited dose shows in the past, climbing too high is a huge mistake if for no other reason than it creates a level of expectation that Hayward – at least so far – hasn’t shown the ability to keep up with any consistency level.

When Boston signed it in the summer of 2017, the idea was that it would be option 1A or 1B for the team. But Kyrie Irving’s departure followed by the arrival of Kemba Walker and the unexpected growth of Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown have left Hayward, 30, in a very different role than many had imagined.

It is certainly an important gear in the Celtics machine. But now it seems that Boston leans more on him for his versatility than for any particular individual strength.

Hayward, like all players in Orlando, Florida, is adapting to life in the bubble.

The 6-foot-8 forward recently posted a blog about his time there, discussing how much he misses his family, meeting other players from other teams (“It’s almost like spending a period in high school,” he said), all the different rules of the land.

And as expected, Hayward also talked about games, which has been a passion of his for some time. But Hayward knows all too well what most fans want to know about … the team.

“Right now we are definitely in the process of finding our rhythm and finding our groove to get back to where we were,” wrote Hayward. “Every day is getting better. Obviously, I think everyone was a little rusty initially trying to get back to things. But so far, it’s been nice. There have definitely been times when something clicks and it looks like it’s back in March.”

basketball mode. That's a lot of fun."" data-reactid="39">Hayward added, “With some of the theatrical calls, once you make them and watch them in the movie, you’re like, ‘Oh yes, I remember it now. I understand.’ And go back to basketball mode. It’s a lot of fun. “

The same can be said for Hayward who puts together a series of consistent performances similar to those we have seen in recent games before the interruption of the game of the league.

With Tatum and Walker attracting so much attention – with Brown not too far behind – there will be opportunities for Hayward to have a significant impact.

Hayward had a number of injuries during his time in Boston, but he seems to be as healthy as he has been since wearing a Celtics uniform. His ability to avoid the injury bug will create the kind of matchup problems that Boston has to find a way to take advantage of overnight.

The story continues