It’s easy to be down on Hayward. Guy is making more in one year then most of us will make in a lifetime combined..
It’s also easy to assume that a guy making so much should be instantly productive for us, injury aside. Former all-star, one of brads boys, hard worker and a great all-around player, doesn’t complain and just wants to do his job. Nearly the perfect Celtic isn’t he?
To be honest I am starting to lose my patience with him also, but I have to keep reminding myself how bad that injury was, how long he was out for and how his recovery and conditioning is still ongoing. But it’s easy to point the blame at him on a team that is struggling out of the gate and was predicted to win over 60 games especially when he was our ‘big win’ free agent. The guy who was expected to get us over the hump.
Let’s be real here though. Let’s forget about how much each guy is making and compare how people are playing compared to last year. Kyrie is comparable but it took some time. Horford is Horford and Smart is Smart so they can all be excluded, we’re getting what we expect to from those guys.
Hero Ball players:
Tatum – on and off but IMO more often off then on up to this point. I think he is trying to emulate Kobe a little too much, maybe his off-season training with him was counterproductive?
Rozier – Hardest player to watch on this team, at least to me. His contract is obviously more important to him at this point then seeing the team win
Morris – It’s working now, but imagine if it wasn’t? People would want his head on a spike. Like how his shot is falling hate how he doesn’t know what a pass is.
Under-achievers – Both of these have been beating to death it just is what it is
Brown
Hayward
Baynes – I personally have low expectations for this guy but he needs to play downlow not jack up ugly 3’s constantly. We have enough guys doing that right now
Biggest problem to me:
Stevens – I think he lost this team or is losing it. The current approach is ugly, just shoot threes, no downlow game no midrange game. No trying to drive to the basket to get teams in foul trouble. I know he’s trying to figure it out but at the end of the day it’s his fault this team is playing the way it is.
If he isn’t holding players accountable how can we get mad at Tatum/Rozier playing hero ball or Baynes jacking up threes? He needs to step up and realize this approach isn’t working.