The Secret Key For The Celtics To Have Playoff Success
Anyone who has watched the Celtics this year knows that this team has been incredibly frustrating. A clear favorite to be the 1-seed in the east before the season, they’re likely to finish as either the 4 or 5-seed. This team just hasn’t been able to string together any consistency, whether it be game to game, or even quarter to quarter. No one in the organization has been able to figure out what exactly they need to do to win consistently.
Not me though, I figured out the puzzle. It’s quite simple actually. Do you want in on this crazy secret?
Run the offense through Gordon Hayward! Holy Shit! What a novel idea. Let’s run the offense through the highest paid player on the team.
Is Kyrie the best player on the roster? Yes. Some of the young guys are probably better than Hayward, who to say has been a microcosm of the Celtics season is an understatement. But Kyrie can’t have an offense run through him. He became a star in Cleveland, in Lebron’s offense. Even though he’s the point guard, and averages a decent of amount of assists a game, bottom line is Kyrie is best when he’s looking for his own.
Where the Celtics have found consistency this year, albeit in a small sample, is when Hayward is THE guy on offense. The Celts are undefeated this season(5-0) when Hayward scores 20-points or more. Yes, it is concerning that he’s only done it five times, but that’s another story. Everyone on the team know they’re at their best when Hayward’s at his best.
Kyrie on Hayward: “I think he’s just trying things now and doing it with more confidence, and getting to the lane and getting fouled. He’s really understanding his size again, where he’s 6-9, able to post guys up, able to come off screen-and-rolls and make great decisions.”
— Adam Himmelsbach (@AdamHimmelsbach) April 4, 2019
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More Kyrie on Hayward: “We’re best when he’s looking for his shot. He’s a great facilitator. But we need G to score. I told him that, and I’m going to keep telling him to stay aggressive and be him and really be that 20-point scorer that he was.”
— Adam Himmelsbach (@AdamHimmelsbach) April 4, 2019
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Having Hayward be the guy the offense runs through is vital for playoff success. The Celtics need to be willing to give the keys to Hayward and let him be the focal point. On the flip side, Gordon needs to play with the level of confidence in himself he had pre-injury and stop playing scared. When he does that, we get the 20-plus point games.
I’ve been extremely critical of Hayward all year, but I’m putting my trust in him to be the guy to get this team going when it matters most.
-Dillon Leary
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