Jay King: Have Brad Stevens & Celtics Mismanaged Gordon Hayward Situation? ( Jeff Goodman Podcast)

The actual podcast is embedded in the link - I haven't listened to it, it is nearly an hour long...

www.celticsblog.com/platform/amp/2019/2/12/18222289/jay-king-have-brad-stevens-celtics-mismanaged-gordon-hayward-situation-jeff-goodman-podcast-nba



The Celtics have problems. Too many to count. And the team hasn’t been shy about airing it’s dirty laundry in public.

Chemistry concerns, selfish play, immaturity, not having fun. It’s all out there.

But according to the Athletic’s Jay King, there is one issue that isn’t getting talked about which could be causing some legitimate internal strife.

“The other dynamic which I think is a huge deal is Gordon Hayward hasn’t been right from the start from the start of the season,” King told Jeff Goodman on the Good N’ Plenty Podcast on CLNS Media.

King believes the Celtics mishandled the entire Hayward situation before the season even got started.

“He (Hayward) was starting early on,” said King. “That starting lineup was a disaster with him in it. He still isn’t the same. The Celtics kind of hyped him up to be back to where he was during the offseason and it was very evident early on that he wasn’t.

“I do think that’s one of the things I would pin on Brad [Stevens] and the coaching staff. It’s that they created expectations way too high for Hayward and they acted like he was going to come right back (from the gruesome injury he suffered over a year ago) and be the All-Star he was, and by doing that when he wasn’t some people in the public got antsy. Maybe to convince Gordon they acted like he was 100% healthy and he hasn’t even been close.”

King notes that Hayward has especially not played well in some of the Celtics biggest games. Yet despite the struggles, he still gets significant playing time.

“If I were a younger guy – and none of them are going to admit to this – I’d be frustrated that he gets crunch time minutes a lot. That he still plays a lot,” King told Goodman.

“Jaylen Brown for example who’s played really well the past couple of months after a very bad start he’s gotta look out there and say, ‘Why is Gordon getting crunch time minutes? Why aren’t I getting crunch time minutes?’

No.

Hope Gordon can build off this, he hit crucial big shot after big shot tonight, if we can get him rolling....we can play with anyone.

The only one actually saying anything is who??

Interesting that people try to say what someone is thinking. A damn podcast.

I think the team should close ranks and talk among themselves. The media is in search of a story

cowens/oldschool wrote:Hope Gordon can build off this, he hit crucial big shot after big shot tonight, if we can get him rolling....we can play with anyone.

Cow Hayward really played at an allstar level tonight. He is fighting his way back. When he is able to string together a group of games like this with no barriers to what he wants to do, you may conclude that he is back and will be a major contributor the rest of the season.

If he is able to continue this positive he may find himself back in the starting lineup. At the very least he can carry the offense off the bench. The Celtics need him to play well.

Dboss it seemed recently he played the worst in big games against the best teams, well after 2 terrible losses and a big game against a newly stacked team, he really came thru at the most crucial times. Hope this is a new point for him and the team, great gritty win....

Funny, all these wannabee "reporters" keep writing things and people keep believing them. But they have no actual access to the players and coaches. Gee, maybe I should start a podcast right here in my living room.

I find myself reading less and less and just watching the games. I have lost faith in alot of guys talking about the Celtics because they are ripping them apart.

Last night's game was a pure example of what I am talking about. Hayward had the best game of his Celtic career, Rozier had one of his worst. All I have been seeing lately is how Hayward is the one responsible for the disfunction on this team. How about looking right at the guy who "wants to be a starting point guard" in this league and didn't even show up until the fourth quarter for two baskets.

Sick of all of rhetoric. What happens from here on in is divided by 10 (players) and Stevens. Let's see who comes out on top.

Hi,
The rule #1 of pseudo-journalism: if you don't have story - create one.

AK

cowens/oldschool,

Not only play with anyone, but eliminate and annihilate everyone in our path.  I think he can get to 90-95% Old GH in 30 games with a week off here starting tomorrow night.  It won't even be close.  He is the missing link.  Right now, none of the opposition sees him coming.  PHI is/was too busy with their own line up rotations, GH wasn't included on their scouting report.  GH may be the best kept secret of all time.  Like the Trojan Horse that opens up on Game 1 of the 1st round of the playoffs!  This may be pure, unadulterated genius.          

db

I didn't actually listen to the podcast, but some of the points made in the article are fairly legitimate. First, the article is not knocking Hayward, it is questioning the Celtics' handling of Hayward. You can argue that hindsight is 20/20 - that is totally fair - but it is hard to argue 1) that GH should have been starting at the beginning of the season; 2) that the minutes he has been given are based on his performance; and 3) that some guys may feel frustrated that he is getting so many minutes given his play. Of course there are reasons for giving him those minutes. I have posted several times that playing Gordon lots of minutes is best for both Gordon and the Celtics in the long run; it will allow Gordon to find his game again, which will allow the Celtics to get the most from their investment. However, it is fair to wonder whether bringing him along more slowly would have been a better approach. Obviously no one knows how that would have played out, but it likely would have lessened the spotlight/pressure on GH, probably improved the teams performance earlier in the season, and possibly avoided some of the tensions that may be brewing in the locker room. Again, hindsight is always 20/20, but cursory dismissal of the guys hypothesis is sticking your head in the sand.

The part of the article that I find irresponsible is the insinuation that they tried to convince Gordon he was 100% healthy. That seems absurd - how could you try to convince someone they are 100% if they don't feel it. I don't even think they tried to sell the public that he was 100% back. That perception, if true, is on the media.

The only chance the Celtics have of winning the title this year (or anytime during the length of his contract period) is to have Gordon playing at a high level. Delaying his playing time to give more minutes to player X or Y, may have resulted in a few more wins - but come playoff time this year (and beyond) every minute Hayward plays will bear fruit.

In so much as it is about the benjamins, he is making A LOT OF MONEY - and they simply cannot sit him if he is healthy. They know that Hayward will likely be here longer than Rozier, Jaylen Brown or Marcus Morris - it makes more long term sense to invest in him incrementally over those other players. In that way, I think Coach Stevens has done as good as job as he could have. No one wants to give up minutes, but like it or not - Hayward is higher in the pecking order than most.

As someone who has been down on Hayward's value all season, after last night, I ate my hat and have ordered some crow. I'll eat it with pleasure, if this continues. Hawk

mrkleen09 wrote:The only chance the Celtics have of winning the title this year (or anytime during the length of his contract period) is to have Gordon playing at a high level.  Delaying his playing time to give more minutes to player X or Y, may have resulted in a few more wins - but come playoff time this year (and beyond) every minute Hayward plays will bear fruit.

In so much as it is about the benjamins, he is making A LOT OF MONEY - and they simply cannot sit him if he is healthy.  They know that Hayward will likely be here longer than Rozier, Jaylen Brown or Marcus Morris - it makes more long term sense to invest in him incrementally over those other players.  In that way, I think Coach Stevens has done as good as job as he could have.  No one wants to give up minutes, but like it or not - Hayward is higher in the pecking order than most.

+1

The only place I might disagree is that he could have been brought along a little more slowly. Intended or not, the expectation was that he would be close to his old form. The fact that he isn't has led to the constant nit-picking of his game by the media, both the professional media and social media. I think this has gotten into his head a little, causing him to over think at times and delay his progress. A chance to get it back together outside the media bubble may have beneficial. Anyway - it's all hindsight at this point, and he seems to be clearly trending upwards.