How much longer do we need to give hayward?

[cman88]

In the beginning of the season the excuse of him "working his way back" was reasonable for his play....but now we are nearly half a season in and he is still refusing the go to the rim or shoot the basketball and averaging a poor 10ppg

I understand it was a gruesome injury. but at some point Gordon needs to take off the training wheels because we really need his scoring.

[Rondo9]

Be patient.

[PhoSita]

Honestly I would suggest that you give up on him looking like a star again until next season. I think scrappy role player Hayward is what we've got for the near future. Give him a summer to work out and I think he'll get there again.

[gouki88]

Honestly I would suggest that you give up on him looking like a star again until next season. I think scrappy role player Hayward is what we've got for the near future. Give him a summer to work out and I think he'll get there again.

Yup

[jambr380]

I would honestly rather he take a month off and focus on increasing his athleticism. We don't need him to continue struggling for the rest of the season and then limping into the playoffs. He would be better off taking a mini-summer vacation now and getting as much explosiveness back as possible. Imagine a healthy, effective Hayward come playoff time.

[mr. dee]

A year.

[Smartacus]

I would honestly rather he take a month off and focus on increasing his athleticism. We don't need him to continue struggling for the rest of the season and then limping into the playoffs. He would be better off taking a mini-summer vacation now and getting as much explosiveness back as possible. Imagine a healthy, effective Hayward come playoff time.

Ya I'm not opposed to this sentiment. I feel like he needs to hit the weight room more than anything. In Utah his last he was looking jacked. Now he seems a bit diminished.

Lock him in the weight room with Ojiele for a month and see what it does for his ability to play with force.

[Kuberski33]

Honestly I would suggest that you give up on him looking like a star again until next season. I think scrappy role player Hayward is what we've got for the near future. Give him a summer to work out and I think he'll get there again.

I would take that at this point.

[hwangjini_1]

In the beginning of the season the excuse of him "working his way back" was reasonable for his play....but now we are nearly half a season in and he is still refusing the go to the rim or shoot the basketball and averaging a poor 10ppg

I understand it was a gruesome injury. but at some point Gordon needs to take off the training wheels because we really need his scoring.

what does the history of players with similar injuries tell us?

[CF033]

We should be seeing some kind of incremental progress which we aren't. I thought we were earlier in the season but he's been pretty flat for a bunch of games now and looking pretty much exactly the same as he did right at the beginning of the season. Maybe it's possible that his body can't keep up with all these games after a season off but in that case he should take some time off.

But anyway who knows, I don't think it's just going to turn on suddenly. It's possible by next year he'll be all-star Hayward, or it's possible what we see now is what he is.

Regardless he is a max paid player so I doubt the Celts are giving up on him any time soon.

[Bobshot]

Hayward probably needs a full year to come back from that injury--and to find a role for this team that really doesn't need him, at least at his current playing level.

Seems that Stevens blindly stuck him in the starting lineup to start the season, then replaced him for more defense when the team started slowly. I still think he can be effective as 6th man coming off the bench for offense. But I wonder if he will ever be worth his salary.

[KG Living Legend]

In the beginning of the season the excuse of him "working his way back" was reasonable for his play....but now we are nearly half a season in and he is still refusing the go to the rim or shoot the basketball and averaging a poor 10ppg

I understand it was a gruesome injury. but at some point Gordon needs to take off the training wheels because we really need his scoring.

 

[Kuberski33]

Hayward probably needs a full year to come back from that injury--and to find a role for this team that really doesn't need him, at least at his current playing level.

They badly need what he offers.  Their bench sucks offensively right now.  Even if he could just keep defenses honest with some consistent 3 pt shooting - that would be enough for the present time.  But he can't even deliver that.

[satch]

To answer the question as long his current contract. The C's will play that contract because his play on the court does not justify his minutes.

[keevsnick]

Remember when people thought he was gonna be back and contributing by last year's playoffs? That was an argument that happened on this board. The history of these injuries tells us it takes a full year of playing to get back to 90% f what you were, so this year may be a "lost" year.