The first time Gordon Hayward settled into an armchair to watch early film of his 2018-19 season, he was stunned. Who was that guy moving as though he were knee-deep in a vat of molasses?
"I was thinking, 'Wow, am I really that slow out there?'" Hayward admitted. "I think it's hard in general to watch yourself on film, but obviously, this was on another level."
Boston Celtics assistant coach Scott Morrison, who has been working one-on-one with Hayward since he signed his four-year, $128 million deal in the summer of 2017, waited until early January to provide Hayward with a visual of what he needed to take the next step forward:
"Hang on the rim" (get to the basket more)
"Get in your bag" (try more creative shots, such as the teardrop floater against the New York Knicks)
"Use your claws" (be more aggressive)
Morrison found positive evidence of each of these traits from Hayward's days with the Utah Jazz, then spliced them next to examples of a more hesitant Hayward in a Boston uniform.