Like teammate Marcus Smart, Boston Celtics forward Gordon Hayward’s ESPN ranking dropped from the 2018-19 season to the 2019-20 season. Previously ranked as the 40th-best NBA player, ESPN now has the veteran ranked 65th ahead of his 10th season in the Association.
Hayward notably suffered a season-ending injury in the 2017-18 season opener that precipitated his underwhelming performance last season. Underwhelming not necessarily because Hayward showed no signs of being unable to return to his prime form but because of cumbersome expectations and inconsistency.
Rehab for Hayward was as much mental as it was physical, as he needed to regain confidence, explosiveness and rhythm after missing nearly a calendar year’s worth of NBA action. Now, with last season under his belt and giving him solid footing with which to raise himself back up to All-Star status, Hayward’s upcoming season could set expectations for his future into stone.
Here’s what ESPN’s Tim MacMahon had to say about Hayward:
Hayward arrived in Boston as a top-30 player. It’s probably a stretch to expect him to get back to that level with the Celtics, who have too many mouths to feed to build an entire offense around him like the Jazz did. But Hayward should benefit from a better atmosphere in Boston and a full year of chipping away at rust and doubt and merit All-Star consideration in the Eastern Conference.
