Gordon Hayward is going to be a major piece to the puzzle when he returns. He was signed to be a cornerstone for the franchise and that’s still true. But when he surfaced from his rehab to join the Celtics for their team photo, it came with mixed emotions. You can read it on his face:
Even though he’ll be a big part of the future, in the moment, he seemed out of place for this team, like a puzzle piece for another puzzle. Brad Stevens has definitively said that “he’s not playing this year” and maybe more importantly, he’s already figured out how to play with him.