The Celtics Are A Bad Team Without Gordon Hayward

What if I told you that Gordon Hayward’s play will make or break the Celtics’ playoff aspirations? Would you believe me? Give me a few minutes of your time and I think I can convince you that Hayward is the key to the Celtics’ success.

The Celtics have been underwhelming all season long. After winning 55 games last season, the Celtics’ win total was expected to increase this season, seeing as they got back star Forward Gordon Hayward after losing him on opening night last season to a gruesome ankle injury. However, that has not been the case as they currently sit at 48-33 with one game remaining before the playoffs.

The Celtics’ underachievement can be attributed to a multitude of things including; having too many shot-needy players without enough shots to go around, Kyrie Irving’s plethora of immature comments throughout the season, and their team defense being significantly worse than it was last season, allowing 8 more points per game this year. With all of this said, they are still the 4th seed in the Eastern Conference and will have home court advantage in their first round matchup against the Indiana Pacers.

Even with so many question marks, there has been one constant the entire season: The Celtics win basketball games if Gordon Hayward plays well. Let’s take a look at some stats I dug up, and just a warning, these will most definitely surprise many of you.

Hayward has scored 12 or more points 31 times this season, and the Celtics hold a 24-7 record in those games. That’s .774 winning percentage, which would be good for the best record in the NBA this season if fully-fledged out over an 82 game season. They are also an astonishing 22-4 when Hayward scores 12 or more points and shoots 46% or better from the field. That translates to a mind-blowing .846 winning percentage, which over a full 82 game season, would make for just the third team ever to win 70 games.

With that said, this means there are 50 games so far this season where Hayward has either scored less than 12 points or hasn’t played, and the Celtics are 24-26 in those games. This means the Celtics are a sub .500 team when Hayward is scoring less than 12 points. Not so great.

However, it does seem as though Hayward is on his way to sustaining that level of play. He has scored double-digit points in 9 straight games, as this is not counting the game where he left with a head injury within the first minute of play. He also has been very efficient shooting the ball as of late, shooting 55.1% since the All-Star Break. Hayward said himself after the Celtics’ win over the Pacers last Friday, that his ankle is allowing him to be the most aggressive he’s been all season.

Obviously, the Celtics need players like Kyrie Irving, Jayson Tatum, and Al Horford to perform well in the playoffs, but it is clear to see that if you add an efficient scoring Hayward to that group, the Celtics are almost unbeatable. The Celtics start their playoff journey next week, and if Hayward can keep this level of play, look for them to make a deep run, possibly even to the NBA Finals. If not, look for a first or second round exit for the C’s. The Celtics go as Gordon Hayward goes.