There’s been some cloudy speculation on whether Gordon Hayward would be able to return before the end of the Celtic’s season or be shut down altogether & come back fresh in 2018-2019.
Celtics coach Brad Stevens is now making it crystal clear that Hayward’s year is over:
“He’s not playing this year. I mean, I don’t know what else to say. Is he progressing? Yes.
“I think the videos are great too because they continue to show the progress. Sometimes, when you’re in that long rehab, you don’t feel the progress of the day-to-day”.
Stevens, & the Celtics are 100% correct shelving Hayward for the year. Even if he’s cleared before the end of the season, he’d likely be rejoining the team in the midst of critical games in the stretch-run, or even more taxing; he’d return smack-dab in the middle of the playoffs themselves.
There’d be no time for Hayward to ease back into things, and rushing a leg injury is never a good thing. Also, he’d be able to focus on training more than rehab during the offseason, which should make his return next year even more seamless.
Flip the page for full video of Stevens updating Hayward’s condition:
