The Boston Celtics will once again play the first game of the season, but this time they hope it will go better than last season. That, of course, was when their star free agent, Gordon Hayward, broke his ankle in gruesome fashion just a few minutes into his debut with the team. 

Hayward ended up missing all of last season as the Celtics went on a surprising Eastern Conference finals run without him -- or Kyrie Irving, who also missed the entire playoffs due to injury. Ahead of training camp, which is now just around the corner, Hayward spoke to the media on Thursday, and indicated he expects to play on opening night. 

Hayward added, "I would basically say I'm 100 percent," noting that physically his ankle is healed, but he is still working on regaining explosiveness and shaking some rust off in terms of finding his rhythm again. Hayward also said that he's played five-on-five four times so far. Via MassLive:

"I haven't had any fear as far as cutting and jumping," Hayward said. "It's just working my way back into a groove, finding the different rhythms, the timings of the game. I played four times 5-on-5 after not playing for a year. That part is going to take some time and just figuring out those timings, those things over the years when you just play, it just comes naturally. When you take a long break like that, you have to kind of find it again. That's what I'm using this time for. Like I said, I'll use preseason and then I'll be rolling."

All signs point toward Hayward being ready to go on opening night, when the Celtics take on the Philadelphia 76ers, and that's great news for both Hayward and the Celtics organization. With Hayward and Irving back in the lineup this season, the Celtics should once again be one of the top teams in the Eastern Conference.