Gordon Hayward Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Atlantic Notes: Hayward, Celtics, Luwawu-Cabarrot, Casey

January 27th, 2018 at 8:42pm CST by Arthur Hill

Despite the progress Gordon Hayward has made in rehabbing his fractured left ankle, Celtics coach Brad Stevens reiterated to reporters tonight that he doesn’t expect Hayward to play again this season, tweets Chris Forsberg of ESPN.

Hayward has discarded his walking boot, and a recent report suggested he could start traveling with the team on a regular basis in March. However, he still has a long way to go in recovering from the devastating injury he suffered on opening night.

“He makes a lot of shots standing still,” Stevens said. “I mean, a lot. Like, he’s a heck of a standstill shooter now. And he’s really good in a chair, too. But nothing new. We don’t anticipate him being back this season.”

There’s more Atlantic Division news to pass along:

The Celtics held a team meeting in Los Angeles this week in the midst of a four-game losing streak, Forsberg writes in a full story. The streak was the first difficult stretch of the season for a team that remains at the top of the Eastern Conference, and players said called the meeting positive and productive. “When you’re hitting a lull of losing games, you can tend to go your own direction and try to figure it out on your own,” Kyrie Irving said. “For us, we have great leadership at the top with Brad, and he echoes a message to us leaders on the team, and then we go out there and try to maximize that opportunity of getting better every single day. And I think that we did a great job of just putting everything out on the table. And it’s just about being professional and going out there and executing.”
A move to the starting lineup has brought out the best in Sixers swingman Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot, writes Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer. With J.J. Redick and Jerryd Bayless injured, Luwawu-Cabarrot made his fourth straight start Friday and is posting the best numbers of his career. “When you get more minutes, you have more time to prove yourself,” he said, “play our game and have fun on the basketball court. That was the biggest difference.”
Dwane Casey sometimes gets overlooked in discussions about the NBA’s best coaches, but he has a strong reputation around the league, notes Doug Smith of The Toronto Star. Casey has the Raptors in second place in the East and is one win away from being named head coach of the team captained by LeBron James in the All-Star Game. “They’ve been building this for a long time, since he won a championship in Dallas and he became the head coach here,” Kevin Durant said recently. “He changed the culture and they play extremely hard. He’s a great coach. I’m glad he’s still here. I’m glad he’s still pushing. They’re one of the best teams in the league.”

Atlantic Notes: Williams, Hayward, Lee, Raptors

January 24th, 2018 at 9:46pm CST by Arthur Hill

Lou Williams seemed like a reasonable target for the Celtics a few weeks ago, but his recent scoring surge and the Clippers’ rise in the Western Conference standings has put him out of their reach, writes A. Sherrod Blakely of NBC Sports Boston. Williams is posting career-best numbers at age 31, averaging 23.3 points per game and shooting better than 40% on 3-pointers. L.A. has climbed back to .500 after a slow start and is just a half-game behind Denver for the final playoff spot.

The Celtics are hoping to find additional scoring punch to make up for the loss of Gordon Hayward, who suffered a devastating ankle injury on opening night. With Williams out of the picture, Blakely suggests the Grizzlies’ Tyreke Evans might be able to provide short-term help in Boston.

There’s more from the Atlantic Division:

Hayward continues to make progress and could begin traveling with the Celtics on a regular basis in March, Blakely adds in a separate story. He’s with the team on its western swing and will remain in California after tonight’s game to get a change of scenery as he recovers. The team wants to make sure Hayward can handle rehab work without an ultra-gravity machine before he becomes a regular on road trips. Coach Brad Stevens cautioned that Hayward has “a long way to go” before he can think about playing again.
After a decade in the league, Knicks guard Courtney Lee isn’t easily affected by trade rumors, relays Anthony Rieber of Newsday. Lee is scoring a career-best 13.7 points per game, but there have been whispers that New York may send him to a contender before next month’s trade deadline. “I’ve been in this league 10 years, been traded a couple times,” Lee said. “It’s nothing new. Only thing you can do is control what you can control, show up, be professional, do your work, go hard and leave it all out on the floor and whatever happens happens. I understand a lot about this NBA. It’s a business first and foremost. It comes with the territory, so I definitely understand.”
The Raptors have a legitimate chance to land the top seed in the East, but they still have problems that might not be fixable before the trade deadline, according to Michael Grange of SportsNet. Toronto ranks 26th in the league in 3-point shooting percentage, Norman Powell has nearly fallen out of the rotation and the offense relies on DeMar DeRozan as much as ever. An extra shooter or two would help, but Grange expects the team to focus on the players already on the roster rather than go after a short-term addition.

Atlantic Notes: Hayward, Eddie, Williams, Hood, Raptors

January 21st, 2018 at 4:54pm CST by marksuleymanov

The Celtics suffered their third straight loss, a 105-93 defeat to the Magic on Sunday, putting an end to a horrific week for the team with the best record in the Eastern Conference. This recent stretch highlights how much the Celtics miss Gordon Hayward, who went down with a season-ending ankle injury on opening night, A. Sherrod Blakely of NBC Sports Boston writes.

Hayward, along with Kyrie Irving, was one of two major offseason acquisition designed to help Boston maintain and improve upon their first-place finish in the East last season. However, on nights where Irving sits due to injury or the Celtics need an added offensive punch, they miss Hayward’s shooting and scoring abilities.

Despite the rough stretch, the Celtics still have the best record in their conference at 34-13, two games ahead of the Raptors.

Check out other news from the Atlantic Division below:

The Celtics recently signed Jarell Eddie to a 10-day contract and hope the journeyman’s second stint in Boston — and eighth different opportunity in the NBA — leads to better results, NBA.com’s Taylor Snow writes.
Dennis Chambers of Basketball Insiders examines how potentially adding Rodney Hood and/or Lou Williams to the fold would impact the Sixers down the stretch.
The Raptors have Kyle Lowry back on track and with the team still in prime position in the East, it’s unlikely the team makes a deadline trade, Ryan Wolstat of the Toronto Sun writes.

Jazz Notes: Favors, Sefolosha, Exum

January 18th, 2018 at 3:29pm CST by Austin Kent

The Jazz have been charged with the task of growing and developing their way into the postseason all over again, Gordon Monson of The Salt Lake Tribune writes. All things considered, they’re off to a decent start.

The scribe offers up a scathing critique of how Gordon Hayward handled his exit from Utah, suggesting that Hayward left the team out in the cold, unlike ex-Pacers star Paul George, who at least gave Indiana’s front office a clear heads up that he had an interest in leaving.

While Monson sheds light on a handful of the assets on board in Utah, from trade candidate Derrick Favors to underwhelming fourth-year forward Rodney Hood, he also places some blame on general manager Dennis Lindsey for not having a better read on the Hayward situation prior to last offseason.

Of course the best thing going for the Jazz is their core duo of Rudy Gobert and rookie Donovan Mitchell. Everything will revolve around those two players, Monson says — that’s a particularly intriguing thought for Utah, considering that Gobert is just 25 years old while Mitchell is 21.

There’s more from the Jazz today:

As the trade deadline draws closer, Derrick Favors is hearing his name pop up in more and more speculation. The 26-year-old has managed to successfully tune out the conversation thus far, Eric Woodyard of The Deseret News writes.
In the same feature for The Deseret News, Woodyard reports that forward Thabo Sefolosha‘s knee surgery went successfully on Wednesday.
After being cleared for non-contact basketball activities, Jazz guard Dante Exum has set his sights on returning to action after the All-Star Break, Tony Jones of The Salt Lake Tribune writes. Exum damaged ligaments in his shoulder during preseason.

Celtics Notes: One-And-Dones, Hayward, Morris

January 11th, 2018 at 4:31pm CST by Austin Kent

The Celtics may represent the best example of one-and-done collegiate players thriving at the NBA level, A. Sherrod Blakely of NBC Sports Boston writes, citing the recent success of Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum as the reasons why.

“I’ve been real impressed with our last two guys who came from college, played one year,” said Celtics head coach Brad Stevens. “They were obviously ready for a lot of the demands of the NBA.”

Of course not every player that comes out of college early can step up for their team out of the gates, Blakely mentions former first overall pick and current Celtics G League affiliate player Anthony Bennett as one particularly notorious example.

There’s more Celtics news this afternoon:

Although an image circulated today of Gordon Hayward not wearing an ankle brace, the timeline for his recovery hasn’t changed, Abby Chin of NBC Sports Boston says. Per president of basketball operations Danny Ainge, the organization is still of the mindset that Hayward will play next year.
Since his return from a knee injury last month, the Celtics have been cautious with Marcus Morris. Now, NBC Sports Boston’s A. Sherrod Blakely writes, his minute restriction has been lifted.
While he could have made more money by continuing to play in Europe, Celtics rookie Daniel Theis didn’t want to miss his opportunity to play in the NBA. Mark Murphy of the Boston Herald spoke with the forward about his decision to come over.

Atlantic Notes: Sessions, Kanter, Hayward, Brown

January 10th, 2018 at 10:57pm CST by Arthur Hill

Ramon Sessions may be in his last days with the Knicks, but the issue isn’t being addressed behind the scenes, according to Marc Berman of The New York Post. New York reportedly wants to sign guard Trey Burke from its G League affiliate, but first it must create a roster opening. Sessions, who started the season’s first three games but has barely played since, seems like the prime candidate to be waived.

“This is my 10th team if you count Milwaukee and Charlotte twice, so I know how it works,” he said before tonight’s game. “I come in here and do my job, and the rest will take care of itself, man. I’ve been in the league since 2007 now. I’ve heard it all. I’ve been traded plenty of times. For me, it’s just like another day, just waking up and doing what I do.”

Sessions added that he hasn’t talked about his status with coach Jeff Hornacek or anybody in the front office. He signed a one-year, $2.33MM contract over the summer, but once Jarrett Jack took over as the starting point guard, Sessions’ primary responsibility has been working as a mentor to rookie Frank Ntilikina.

There’s more tonight from the Atlantic Division:

Enes Kanter is baffled by his new role in the Knicks‘ rotation, Berman adds in a separate story. Kanter is still the starter and he puts up double-doubles most nights, but he hasn’t played in the fourth quarter of the last five games coming into tonight. Hornacek has been trying to find minutes for four centers, which has reduced Kanter’s playing time. “What’d [Hornacek] say,” Kanter asked. “I have no idea why. I guess it’s a little weird. I have no idea. I look at the coach. He look at me. OK? I’ll sit on the bench.’’
Celtics fans were excited to see a photo posted by president of basketball operations Danny Ainge of Gordon Hayward without his ankle brace, but coach Brad Stevens told A. Sherrod Blakely of NBC Sports Boston not to read too much into it. “This is exactly what they thought the timeline would be like, just being out of a brace,” Stevens said. “There’s a long way to go.” Hayward continues to make progress in his recovery from a fractured left ankle, but Stevens added that the timeline hasn’t changed.
Sixers coach Brett Brown told reporters in London that he doesn’t like to hear Joel Embiid, Ben Simmons or any of his other young players being referred to as stars, writes Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer. “We don’t yet have stars,” Brown said. “We don’t have any championships. We don’t have any all-stars. Like, we are very much at the foundation to get to where you just brought us too quickly, in my opinion. I’m the coach. I have to keep it real.”

Celtics Planned To Use Hayward As No. 2 Playmaker

December 25th, 2017 at 6:40pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Celtics planned to run a Warriors-style offense this season prior to Gordon Hayward‘s serious leg injury on opening night, Lee Jenkins of Sports Illustrated reports. The coaching staff wanted to utilize Hayward as a second ballhandler with Kyrie Irving running the attack. Many of Boston’s sets centered around Irving and Hayward playing a two-man game in the mold of Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson with the Boston duo making plays off weakside screens and pindowns, Jenkins continues. Forward Al Horford would have also had a playmaking role, much like the Warriors’ Draymond Green, spacing the floor and distributing the ball to cutters. Without Hayward, Irving has been relied upon more as a scorer and Horford’s playmaking duties have been expanded, Jenkins adds.

Other nuggets from the SI piece on Hayward include:

GM Danny Ainge sees a healthy Hayward as the missing piece to a championship team. “What do we need? A versatile 6’8” defender who can switch one through four, handle the ball, create offense for others and make shots,” Ainge told Jenkins. “That’s what we need. That’s Gordon Hayward.”
It’s not out of the question Hayward could return this season if the Celtics make a deep playoff run. Hayward is trying to be realistic about his situation, so that he doesn’t set himself up for disappointment. “Wishing to be on the court, trying to be on the court, those are the thoughts that kept me up at night,” he told Jenkins.
Hayward’s predicament led to deeper bond among his teammates. That helped the Celtics get off to a strong start without him. “I think Gordon’s injury made us closer,” guard Terry Rozier told Jenkins.

Atlantic Notes: Sixers, Vinsanity, Hayward

December 17th, 2017 at 6:26pm CST by Austin Kent

While they may not be touted as the much anticipated products of The Process, NBA veterans like J.J. Redick, Jerryd Bayless and Amir Johnson have had a major impact on the Sixers, Ian Begley of ESPN writes.

Unlike token veterans who the Sixers have employed in the past like Jason Richardson and Elton Brand, both established players in the twilight of their careers, players like Redick, Bayless and Johnson still suit up and play for the squad every night.

“To now have players sweating on the court that can add the leadership in real time, instead of something static in a video room — that is priceless,” head coach Brett Brown said. “I think the abundance we have this year and the fact that they play, the combination is powerful, and I appreciate [Sixers president and general manager] Bryan Colangelo helping me, helping us design the team with that in mind.”

There’s more from the Atlantic Division:

The Kings squared off against the Raptors in what could be Vince Carter‘s last game in Toronto. Doug Smith of the Toronto Star wrote about the 40-year-old veteran’s lasting legacy.
There’s no indication that he necessarily will but Gordon Hayward is open to the idea of returning this season, Kyle Hightower of the Associated Press writes. The Celtics forward is still recovering from a broken ankle suffered on opening day but has recently shed his walking boot.
An injury to Tim Hardaway Jr. has allowed Ron Baker to slide back into the Knicks rotation and start making the impact that he became famous for as a rookie. Marc Berman of the New York Post writes that Ron Burgundy is back.

Atlantic Notes: LeVert, Holmes, Hayward

December 14th, 2017 at 10:06am CST by Austin Kent

The Nets have been pleased with the progress they’ve seen out of 23-year-old sophomore Caris LeVert. As Alex Squadron of the New York Post writes, the second-year swingman has begun to show what he’s capable of as a playmaker.

“He’s come a long way,” Nets head coach Kenny Atkinson said. “I think we had high expectations for him. We kind of knew right off the bat he was going to be pretty good. I’m glad that the high expectations we had — it’s starting to show. It’s starting to come to light that he’s a pretty good player.”

The Nets have relied on LeVert to handle some playmaking duties, something he did during his time in college. Over the course of the past four games, LeVert has averaged 16.5 points and 7.3 assists per game.

There’s more from the Atlantic Division:

Third-year Sixers big man Richaun Holmes has made the most of an increase in playing time of late. The reserve can shift between the four and the five and provide offense off the bench. “It’s just a matter of the playing time, the opportunity,” Holmes told Keith Pompey of The Inquirer. “I know what I can do on the court.“
Despite the fact that he hasn’t even turned 20 years old, Frank Ntilikina is beginning to show that he could lead an NBA offense, perhaps sooner than later. As Fred Kerber of the New York Post writes, the Knicks rookie continues to develop in a variety of ways as the season progresses.
Although there remains no timetable for his return, Celtics forward Gordon Hayward has been given the green light to remove his walking boot. “I feel alright I guess, as well as I could,” Hayward told the media, including A. Sherrod Blakely of NBC Sports Boston. “I’m out of the boot right now so that’s good, slowly getting better.“

Gordon Hayward Hopes To Play Before Season Ends

December 9th, 2017 at 6:13pm CST by Arthur Hill

Celtics forward Gordon Hayward hasn’t given up on trying to play again this season, relays Adam Himmelsbach of The Boston Globe.

The prize free agent addition, who left Utah this summer for a four-year, $128MM contract with Boston, suffered a devastating injury in the season’s first game, a dislocation/fracture in his left ankle that required surgery and left him sidelined indefinitely.

Hayward has made progress in the more than seven weeks since the injury, Himmelsbach reports. His cast was removed two weeks after the operation and replaced by a walking boot, which is now being phased out for a small brace. He stopped using crutches last week and is able to shoot baskets while standing up.

“It’s definitely in the back of my mind,” Hayward said about the possibility of returning to the court this season. “I’m definitely pushing to get back as fast as I can, while making sure that I still have a lot of good years of basketball in me. And coming back early and hurting something else is not part of that plan. So I’m making sure that if I come back, I’m one-thousand percent confident in myself and my leg. I hope more than anything I can play this season. That would be awesome. But that’s not something I’m stressing about. I’m stressing about what I can do today to help myself get better.”

“I feel like for me it’s better to just tell myself, ‘Let’s be better today than I was yesterday,’ and then keep doing that day in and day out,” Hayward said. “And if it happens to get to the point where the season’s still going on and I can play, then, like, that’s awesome.”