Gordon Hayward doesn’t rule out returning to Celtics this season

TONY DEJAK/AP

Coming into the season opener against the Cleveland Cavaliers, the Boston Celtics had high hopes of making a statement against LeBron James and the defending Eastern Conference champion Cleveland Cavaliers.

Unfortunately, the team suffered a devastating loss with newcomer Gordon Hayward going down with a severe leg injury. As a result of the injury, the consensus was he’d miss the rest of the season.

Although it seemed as though Hayward would be done for the year, the veteran forward isn’t ruling out a return to the floor during the 2017-18 campaign, via Adam Himmelsbach of the Boston Globe.

“It’s definitely in the back of my mind,” Hayward said. “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 1,000 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.”

Eastern Conference

Ironically enough, even without Hayward on the floor for Boston, the Celtics have flourished this season behind the MVP-caliber play of fellow newcomer, Kyrie Irving. Boston won 16 straight games at one point. They have had a tight grip on the top seed in the East ever since.

The Celtics are currently sitting atop the East with a 22-5 record. Unless the Cavs completely return to form, Boston could be the team to beat in the conference. Despite Boston’s stellar start, LeBron and company are slightly favored over Irving’s squad to win the East.

If Hayward does make progress and is able to return before season’s end, those odds could change in favor of the Celtics.