Stevens: Gordon Hayward Could Start Traveling With Celtics By March
BOSTON (CBS) -- Gordon Hayward's extensive rehab is progressing nicely, but being sideline for so long can get a bit monotonous.
So to break things up a bit, the Celtics gave Hayward a change of scenery and sent him (and some of their medical staff, of course) out west last week. And in another bit of promising news for the injured C's star, those travel plans may ramp up in a few months.
Hayward's trip to the left coast not only allowed for a change of scenery, but an opportunity to join the team on Tuesday night as they took on the Los Angeles Lakers. He'll be in the Staples Center with his teammates again on Wednesday when they take on the Clippers, looking to end a four-game skid.
"One of the things that we wanted to do with him was change his environment just to move a little bit," head coach Brad Stevens told reporters ahead of Tuesday night loss to the Lakers, via MassLive's Jay King. "So he's going to be here for these two games and then he will stay here in Southern California for a week or 10 days with a couple of our staff (members) and then rejoin us in Boston."
Hayward hasn't traveled with the team yet since suffering that brutal opening night injury, but that could change soon. Stevens said Hayward could start joining the Celtics for road trips full-time by March, depending on how his rehab progresses.
Don't get too giddy about a late-season comeback just yet, as Stevens stressed that Hayward still has a long way to go. But like most of us, the C's head coach saw the video of Hayward shooting set shots in a gym earlier this week, another promising sign for the injured forward.
"He's a really good spot shooter," Stevens grinned.
