Before you even ask, no – no he is not going to play tonight.
But, freed from his mandatory four-day quarantine period on re-entering the Disney restart bubble, Boston Celtics veteran forward is back with the team on the NBA campus, and was seen (and recorded) by the Boston Globe’s Gary Washburn.
Hayward, who severely sprained his ankle at the start of the first-round series with the Philadelphia 76ers, is still anticipated to return no sooner than the 15th of this month according to an especially optimistic analysis of his Grade III ankle sprain.
It’s quite possible it may take him even longer than that to get himself back into game shape, the time off not doing his conditioning any favors given the lower-body nature of his injury.
Gordon Hayward is out of quarantine and doing some pre-game shooting. #Celtics #Raptors #NBABubble pic.twitter.com/cvz8qCNJHI
— gary washburn (@GwashburnGlobe) September 12, 2020
But, even the mere presence of the Butler product may be a welcome boost for the rest of his team, which has been fueled as much by the bond of camaraderie formed during perhaps the most chaotic and unpredictable season in the Celtics long history.
If you want a gander at Hayward’s form after his several weeks away from the game, or are just trying to get in the mood for the game, watch the clip embedded above.
