It’s hard not to think of Gordon Hayward as a forgotten man of sorts this year. Having only played roughly five minutes before suffering what is still the most terrifying injury of the 2017-18’ NBA season, it’s been tough to remind ourselves of the Boston Celtics’ biggest prize of free-agency this past summer.
In rather bittersweet fashion, Hayward’s absence has propelled younger Celtics, like Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum, into larger roles. Further along their development than originally scheduled, this probably has offered president Danny Ainge a clearer outlook for which direction the team can take in the future.