Boston Celtics Roster, Injury News 2017: Forward Gordon Hayward Confirms He Won't Return to Play this Season
Sorry, Boston Celtics fans. All-Star forward Gordon Hayward's definitely not coming back this season.
Hayward shared a lengthy blog post on Wednesday in which he talked about the gruesome ankle injury that ended his season, and he confirmed that he won't return at some point this season.
"The Celtics organization has been just over the top in every aspect. They know I will not be back on the court at all this season, but they have been making sure I have every resource I need and are making me feel like I am a part of the team," Hayward wrote. "I honestly can't say enough about everyone's kindness," he continued.
Hayward noted that the doctors were initially worried about the possibility of cartilage damage in his foot before he went under the knife, but the surgery to repair the fractured bone and torn ligament in his left ankle went well.
"The surgery had been really successful. The cartilage from the scan wasn't related to the injury and wasn't a concern. Everything had gone extremely well," he added.
Well, Hayward's not going to come back in the final weeks of the season like Paul George did back in the 2014–15 season, but that's probably the smart thing to do here.
The Celtics have actually been doing quite well without him and they are currently sitting on top of the Eastern Conference with a 6–2 record.
In his absence, second-year wing Jaylen Brown and rookie forward Jayson Tatum have been getting a lot of playing time, and third-year point guard Terry Rozier has taken on an increased role off the bench as well.
The Celtics are in good hands with Brad Stevens in charge, so Hayward may as well sit out the rest of the season to recover so he can come back better than ever next year.
