Gordon Hayward's Ankle Was Still Swollen And 'Purpleish' Around All-Star Break
BOSTON (CBS) -- Gordon Hayward took the floor in a full Celtics uniform on Wednesday afternoon, but you can probably close the book on any potential comeback this season.
Hayward joined his teammates for the 2017-18 Celtics team photo at TD Garden on Wednesday, giving fans a quick glimpse of the star player in Boston white and green.
Unfortunately, there's another color to worry about when it comes to the forward's injured ankle. According to Yahoo Sports' Chris Mannix, Hayward's ankle was "still purpleish" over the recent All-Star break.
"I saw Hayward before the All-Star break. He's walking fine, but his ankle was still swollen and still purpleish, which makes it impossible to believe he will be ready to play before mid-April," Mannix wrote on Thursday.
Celtics head coach Brad Stevens has said all season he doesn't expect Hayward to return from the gruesome opening night injury, and appears that will be the case. The Celtics have just 19 games remaining in the regular season, so the odds are strongly against any kind of Hayward comeback.
The Celtics brass has continually said that they expect Hayward to be back to 100 percent for the start of next season.
