Gordon Hayward underwent successful surgery to remove a plate and screws that were implanted after he suffered a broken fibula in the first game of the season, according to the Boston Celtics on Wednesday.
Upon examination of both Hayward's ankle and fibula, the team reports that both are "structurally sound," and the removal of the plate and screws was a necessary procedure because of the irritation it was causing to Hayward's peroneal tendons. He is scheduled to resume basketball activities in 6-to-8 weeks, and, barring any setbacks, will be at full strength by the start of training camp later this fall.
The Celtics played all but five minutes of its season without Hayward in the lineup. They far exceeded expectations without their prized free-agent acquisition, who was expected to be one of the more productive two-way players on the roster. His injury was the first of two major ones, the second being a late-season knee injury that sidelined Kyrie Irving right before the playoffs. Still, the hobbled Celtics thrived in the postseason, pushing Cleveland to seven games before losing in the Eastern Conference Finals.
With a healthy version of Hayward and Irving back in the lineup for 2018, Boston has a lethal mix of youth, experience and talent to take yet another leap forward into 2018-19 under Brad Stevens and potentially win the Eastern Conference and punch its ticket to the NBA Finals.
