How Hayward could elevate Boston
The Boston Celtics starting lineup in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Finals was Terry Rozier, Jaylen Brown, Jayson Tatum, Al Horford, and Aron Baynes. There’s not a single person who thought that would be the five the Celtics would rely on and find success with in the playoffs. And Hayward’s return could, in theory, take that group to the next level.
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The Celtics never really got to see how Hayward could fit into their offense, but before the ankle injury, the forward was one of the best frontline scorers in the sport. He can play in isolation, run the fastbreak, get to the hole, spot-up, and hit crucial late-game shots. In his final season with the Utah Jazz, Hayward averaged a career-high 21.9 points and 5.4 rebounds per game.
For Hayward’s sake, he doesn’t have to worry about carrying the scoring load this season. He’s viewed as one of the Celtics’ more proven scorers, but with Irving alongside him and a number of capable scorers in place, the forward doesn’t have to average 20-plus points a game.
Once they get into the swing of things and get on the same page, an offensive attack featuring Irving, Hayward, Horford, Tatum, and Brown could be formidable. Plus, when you take into account their defensive prowess (the Celtics were third in points surrendered last season at 100.4 points per game), as a whole, the Celtics could be a 60-70 win team; their ceiling is that high if Hayward makes a seamless transition into their rotation.