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Gordon Hayward said today that he’s open to a bench role if it’s what the struggling Celtics team needs to succeed. The former All-Star is still recovering from last year’s horrific leg injury that left him unplayable for an entire season, but through the team’s 12 games so far (which featured just as many starting roles from Hayward) he hasn’t seemed quite like his old self.
The Butler-bred forward was averaging close to 22 points per game in his role with the Jazz in 2016, but since coming back from his injury he’s averaging less than 10. The Celtics are 7-6 on the season and have dropped their last two. It’s a slow start for last year’s Eastern Conference finalists, who did so even without the presence of either Kyrie Irving or Gordon Hayward.
The team has talent–it’s close to being the most talent-saturated team in the league. But they seem to be adjusting to the consistent presence of their entire star-studded roster.
If Hayward ends up taking a bench role for tonight’s matchup against the Bulls, here’s what the Celtics’ starting lineup could look like:
Boston Celtics Starting Five if Hayward Takes Bench Role
PG: Kyrie Irving
SG: Jaylen Brown
SF: Jayson Tatum
PF: Marcus Morris
C: Al Horford
Marcus Morris is likely to take Hayward’s spot if these bench rumors prove true–the two play the same position, and Morris has been the team’s most productive player off the bench. He scored 16 points in the loss to the Utah Jazz, 13 against the team’s most recent matchup against the Trailblazers, and 17 against the Phoenix Suns last week.
If Hayward takes a backseat role it’ll be a big adjustment for everybody–he came to the team expecting to be Kyrie Irving’s right-hand man, not a supporting force off the bench. But his attitude about the situation bodes well for the team at large. The team is struggling, sure, but at least its stars are willing to experiment with solutions.
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