Four days removed from breaking a finger on his right hand in a preseason game against the Toronto Raptors, Hornets forward Gordon Hayward returned to the court on Friday morning to take part in an individual workout. Hayward still remains day-to-day with Friday’s workout serving as a barometer for what his hand can withstand as his availability for next week’s regular season opener still uncertain.
“You know, we’re taking it day by day,” Hayward told reporters after his workout on Friday. “I did some shooting, some running, some ball handling. It was good to be able to do that, obviously, and so we’ll see how it responds tomorrow from this stuff.”
Hayward wasn’t exactly sure when the injury occurred, though he and the team narrowed it down to a play they believe led to the broken finger. That sequence took place midway through the second quarter when Hayward rove into the lane before colliding with Raptors big man Aron Baynes.
This appears to be the play where Hayward and the team believe he broke his finger pic.twitter.com/3Cuttwwat7
— Jacob Rude (@JacobRude) December 18, 2020
“During the game, it was bothering me,” Hayward said. “I was able to finish the game, which was good. I actually was icing it on the sidelines. So, I knew there was something (but) didn’t quite know what it was. I thought it was just a bruise or whatever and the next day we did images and saw what we saw.”
Hayward noted that there was some discomfort during the drills and that the injury and his availability may come down to pain management.
“Doing the dribbling and shooting today, you know, it’s obviously a little tender,” he said. “I mean, it is a fracture and, so, I have to work through that. I think a lot of it is just pain management. I think it’s good that it’s preseason, so we can do as much treatment as we can on it.
“I mean, certainly, I’m going to be doing everything I can to be ready for the opener. I’m going to be working around the clock to get there.”
The Hornets open the regular season on Wednesday, Dec. 23 in Cleveland against the Cavaliers.
