Gordon Hayward's return to the NBA floor has understandably been a work in progress during the exhibition season. The versatile wing has had his surgically repaired ankle hold up well physically over the team's first couple weeks of camp, but it was a sore back that caused him to miss the team's fourth preseason game on Saturday and some additional practice work last week.
Hayward was back in action with the team over the last two days and is encouraged by how his body has bounced back from the ailment.
"My back's been ongoing a little bit, but definitely got progressively worse and that's what made me think I need to dial it back a little bit," Hayward said of his days off. "I think in the past, it's bothered me, but it's gone down with treatment and stuff.
But this time it was getting worse, especially after playing. So, like I said, I have to rebuild the strength. My leg is strong because I've been focusing on that. But then you forget that you don't focus on other things that are important and the back is definitely an important part. You can't do much when your back is hurting."
The rest paid dividends almost immediately for the 28-year-old, as Hayward was optimistic about how his body responded in the past couple days.
"I feel the best I've felt since I've been here yesterday, so that was encouraging," Hayward said. "My body felt pretty good, my back was definitely feeling better. Besides that, I was more comfortable in the offense and it was a good day for me. So we gotta build on that, and have another good one."
Hayward has been the least of the team's worries over the past couple weeks of camp, which has featured underwhelming performances by the starting five in nearly all of their time together on the court in preseason matchups. Hayward's return to top form will certainly help that group make some strides in that department, but in the meantime, his teammates are starting to see the old Gordon return.
"I think he's just doing a good job each day taking steps -- positive steps -- forward," Al Horford said. "I think yesterday in my eyes was probably one of his better practices. He just started to feel more comfortable, moving really well. I was very happy to see him -- he just looked comfortable."
Hayward remains on track to play in the season opener against the Sixers on Tuesday night at the TD Garden, even though his body will have to be monitored closely as he ramps things up to regular season speed.
"It's definitely hard," Hayward said. "The expectation for myself is to come back and be ready to go and be the exact same player that I was, better than I was. I've been working for a whole year and it's hard to be patient and understand that it's going to take some time. It can be frustrating, too. It's not something I've ever had to deal with either, so I don't know what to expect, and how long it's going to take to find my rhythm and that type of stuff. I do have to be patient and do what I can to help us win."
Other News and Notes
- With the Celtics only having themselves to practice against over the next week ahead of the opener, the competition between the bench and starters has ramped up a bit. Horford acknowledged on Wednesday that the second unit has gotten the best of the starters quite a bit: “They push us a lot," he said. "Like, yesterday for example, we had the first game we played tied after I think it was like five minutes. And then coach added another five or 10 minutes on the clock, whatever it was. And Guerschon hits a game-winner, the bench beats us. It’s just very competitive. Every day we’re going at it. And those guys are competitors. They’re pushing us every day. I feel like it’s making us better, and it’s not like the game but I feel like it was very productive yesterday. And we plan for it to be at that level all week. That’s what we’re trying to do.”
- Daniel Theis has been one of the overlooked players in training camp, according to Brad Stevens, after coming off his torn meniscus. "Not enough (people) talk about Theis," the head coach said. "I think that he looked more comfortable yesterday than I think he has in any of the first two weeks. But he didn’t play hardly any 5-on-5, maybe just a couple minutes here or there prior to the season, so we need him if we’re going to be at our very best, we need him available and to be able to anchor our defense, roll to the rim, do a lot of the things that he brought to us last year. I was actually -- I thought he would have played a bigger role in the playoffs, considering our lack of depth at the end of the season."