Gordon Hayward had an unfortunate start to his career with the Celtics when he broke his leg on the opening night of the NBA season. While the Celtics saw success without him, Hayward was definitely missed throughout the season, especially as Boston fought through injuries all season long.
Hayward has been working on his NBA comeback since that gruesome injury, consistently providing updates through social media and blog posts. His latest update features him working out with NBA skills coach Drew Hanlen. In an Instagram post, Hayward shows himself dribbling, shooting and moving well without any signs of being impeded by his injury.
It's good to see Hayward up and moving well. Of course, he would never post a video of him struggling to deal with the injury but he's looking healthy and that's what everybody wants to see. His injury was gruesome and worrisome; the type that makes people concerned about someone's career going forward. Hayward, though, is probably going to physically come back as good as ever.
The real challenge will come from the mental side. Other players who suffered traumatic injuries in the past spoke about how the toughest part was getting back on the floor and playing without that fear of getting re-injured. Hayward looks good in workouts, but it may take him a little bit of time next season to get back into the full swing of NBA speed. Hopefully it won't take too long, though. He's an excellent player who NBA fans want to see succeed.
