Will Brad Stevens have Gordon Hayward in uniform today "to mess with people"?
Remember when Brad Stevens joked about putting Gordon Hayward on the playoff roster for this season. Not totally a joke, since that is just what happened.
Gordon was also part of the Celtics walkthrough at practice "just to have him back out there", according to a tweet by Chris Forsberg. It all makes sense. It must have felt good for Hayward to be back in any venue with his teammates who have accomplished so much this season.
My next question is - could he also be part of the warm-ups prior to the game? Could he be in uniform just to feel more a part of what is taking place? NBA coaches have a good time messing with opposing coaches' (and players') minds. Brad is no exception.
Stevens has an idea about bringing Gordon Hayward back for the playoffs: "Maybe just to list him as questionable, just to mess with people."
— Mark Murphy (@Murf56) March 28, 2018
"We let [Gordon Hayward] be a part of the walkthrough, which was fun, just to have him back out here. He’s getting better too but, again, we’re going to have to figure out how to be the best version of ourselves as we continue on through the season without [Kyrie + Gordon]." pic.twitter.com/5H8dv6hyVK
— Chris Forsberg (@ESPNForsberg) May 12, 2018
Gordon will certainly not play in today's game, and the better chance is he won't play at all in the playoffs. But he has stated that he feels like an athlete again, and that is good enough to warm up with his teammates in uniform and launch some shots. If I am missing any rules or regulations forbidding this, please excuse me. When you have the mind of a Brad Stevens, you need to mess with the minds of your rivals.
Follow Tom at @TomLaneHC
Photo via Winslow Townson/AP
