BOSTON – The Boston Celtics have been in pursuit of an elite wing scorer since
the summer of 2013 when the Paul Pierce era came to an end.
Finally, the hunt is over. The Celtics announced Friday afternoon that they have
found their man. Free agent, All-Star forward Gordon Hayward has decided to join
Boston on its quest for Banner 18.
Hayward spent his first seven NBA seasons as the cornerstone of the Utah Jazz,
for whom he tallied career averages of 15.7 points, 4.2 rebounds and 3.4 assists
per game. He displayed significant growth every season in Salt Lake City, and is
coming off of the first All-Star campaign of his career, during which he
averaged 21.9 PPG, 5.4 RPG, 3.5 APG and shot 38.9 percent from 3-point range.
When Hayward revealed his decision on July 4 in an essay on the Players’ Tribune
website, he explained that leaving the team that developed him was the hardest
choice of his life. As difficult as it was, the 27-year-old was drawn to the
Celtics’ organization. He sensed something special brewing in Boston. And he
wanted to be a part of it.
Hayward said in his Players’ Tribune article that he is captivated by Boston’s
sports-driven culture. He is enamored by the Celtics’ rich tradition. And he is
encouraged by the unlimited potential of Boston’s current young core.
Most of all, he could not pass up on the opportunity to reunite with his former
college coach Brad Stevens. The pair helped guide Butler University on a
Cinderella-run in the 2010 NCAA Tournament, which ended in a gut-wrenching,
61-59 loss to Duke in the National Championship Game.
The NCAA title loss left a void for both parties, and now they have the
opportunity to fill it with an NBA title.
“That unfinished business we had together, back in 2010, when I left Butler for
the NBA,” Hayward wrote. “As far as I’m concerned, all these years later, we
still have it.
“And that’s to win a championship.”
Not only will that goal be attainable for Hayward, Stevens and the rest of the
Celtics; it could be attainable immediately.
Last season, the Celtics had the top regular season record in the Eastern
Conference. They made it through the first two rounds, knocking off formidable
foes in Chicago and Washington, respectively, before being bounced out of the
Eastern Conference Finals by the defending NBA champion Cleveland Cavaliers.
Boston’s overall success cemented it as one of the top teams in the NBA, and
that was before Hayward arrived. Now that he’s joined the cause, the Celtics are
primed to be even better – much better.
Hayward is a perfect piece for Stevens’ system – he’s is a strong playmaker, can
space the floor and is a versatile defender.
Most importantly, he can create his own shot and he’s able to score from
anywhere on the court. This is great news for Isaiah Thomas, who led the East in
scoring last season but was often double- and triple-teamed by the opposition.
Hayward’s scoring ability should ease the pressure off of IT, while creating a
more well-rounded and less predictable offensive attack.
Not only should Hayward positively impact the present state of the organization;
his decision to sign with the Celtics will likely make Boston a more desirable
place to play for future free agents.
Prior to last summer, Boston was not considered to be a primary free agent
destination. In fact, the C’s had never signed a star free agent until last July
when four-time All-Star Al Horford left Atlanta to ink a multi-year deal with
Boston. Horford’s addition in the frontcourt allowed the Celtics to improve
drastically during the 2016-17 season, which helped open the door to lure in
Hayward.
Now that Hayward is on board, along with prized rookie draft pick Jayson Tatum,
the Celtics should improve even more. This should add to the snowball effect and
open door even wider for future star free agents to walk through.
Piece by piece, the championship puzzle is gradually taking form in Boston. It
contains a high-scoring playmaker in Thomas, a veteran, frontcourt leader in
Horford, a defensive stud in Avery Bradley, and young, developing role players
in Jaylen Brown, Marcus Smart and Tatum.
And now it contains an elite wing scorer in Hayward – a critical piece that the
Celtics have been yearning for in order to take their next step on their journey
to Banner 18.
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oost-celtics-title-quest
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