Gordon Hayward discusses Isaiah/Kyrie, and expectations for the season


Last night, Gordon Hayward posted a lengthy, 2300 word article on his official website. After a brief introduction where he sends love to his Utah fans and the entire Utah Jazz organization, Hayward jumps right into discussing the next chapter in his life: being a Boston Celtic.

He begins by reflecting on the Isaiah Thomas for Kyrie Irving trade, saying that when the rumors of a blockbuster trade sprouted, he ignored them, and instead focused on putting time in in the gym and preparing for the season. Then the Woj-bomb dropped. 
All of a sudden, shit started to hit the fan. Hayward says that people were texting him non-stop asking questions about the trade, but he couldn't give them the answers that they were looking for, because he didn't know anything! He was just like us, seeing what we were seeing on Twitter, and blindly speculating about what could've been happening. He talked with Al Horford, who was also kept in the dark about the whole ordeal. Then Danny Ainge called to confirm the news, and that was that.

 Regarding IT4, Hayward wrote,
My first reaction was to text I.T., and wish him the best. That was a really strange moment because I’d really been looking forward to playing with him. He didn’t just help recruit me to Boston—he was a big piece of that recruitment. He had talked a lot about city and how it was different to be a Celtic. He talked about the intensity of playing in the Eastern Conference Finals, playing at the Garden in the playoffs, and how much fun it was, and how much fun he had playing in Boston. All of that ultimately helped win me over. And by the time of the trade, I had already started to build a little bit of a relationship with him.

 Gordie Haystacks then begins to talk about his new teammate, Kyrie Irving. He writes an in-depth report on the style of game that Kyrie plays, and admits that Kyrie can do it all. Along with discussing Irving's vast skill-set, Hayward commends his new teammate's NBA resume, of being the number one overall pick in the 2011 NBA Draft and being on a bad team when he first came into the league, to playing with LeBron James and going to three straight NBA Finals.

 Next, Hayward tells about other teammates that he's looking forward to playing with next season. He begins by stating what a ton of Celtics' fans fail to admit: that Al Horford is a great player, whether it shows up on the stat sheet or not. This was probably my biggest pet peeve from last season: how dummy Boston fans neglect to see Big Money Al's stardom. The guy can do it all, and just because he doesn't get 12 rebounds a game, that doesn't mean that he's not a star center in this league and not worth the max contract that he got in 2016. I'll be writing a very passionate, hate-article for all of you Horford dolts in the future, but for right now, I'll let Gordon do that explaining. He writes,
Fans don’t understand how good Al is as a player because a lot of the stuff that he does doesn’t show up on a stat sheet. He makes the game so much easier on his teammates, whether it’s as a playmaker from the post or the top of the key, or with his ability to shoot, creating the floor space so you have more room to drive. He also has great defensive smarts, and a veteran presence in knowing how to win. I’m excited to learn from him, and hopefully help him out, too.

 After gushing about Horford, Hayward goes onto compliment the games of Marcus Smart, and our two young guns, Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum.

 The next section of his article is about what he's been doing off the court recently. First, he talks about video games. I didn't know that Hayward was a big gamer, but apparently he is. Hopefully he's not a n00b. 

 Lastly, Gordon talks about what we can expect from him and the team this season. He says that when he was choosing a new destination during free agency, it was very important to him that teams understood one thing: that he doesn't feel like he's reached his full potential, and that he wants to reach those heights with his new team. He knew that Brad Stevens would be able to help him in that department, and explained this to us by referencing his college days. 
Going back to Butler, Coach’s philosophy has always been, “What can you do to improve yourself today? How can I get better?” That’s resonated with me from that point all the way through to the way I approach the game now. I’m still looking to improve.

 And after that, he puts on his Danny Ainge voice and assures us that he understands the Celtics' culture. That banners and championships are all that matter around here, and that he'll help us raise Banner 18. 

And that was Gordon Hayward's most recent ode to Boston, all summarized for you in less that 1000 words. Boom! I think I'm going to really like this guy. I mean, anyone who respects Al Horford's game is a friend of mine. I'm already getting worked up about stupid takes from stupid fans that will undoubtedly be said this season about #42, and guess what? I'll be there, lurking in the shadows, waiting to pounce. No Big Money Al hater is safe.

 And how about Gordon saying that he hasn't reached his full potential? The guy went for 22 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 3.5 assists last season, on his way to making his first NBA All-Star appearance. And now he's telling me that he's only going to get better!? Celtics' opponents should be afraid...very afraid. 

 To read the entire article that Haystacks wrote himself, click here.

 Otherwise, follow OWaukewan.

 Photo 1: Getty Images
Photo 2: Gerald Herbert, AP

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