BOSTON – Brad Stevens would love nothing more than to have Gordon Hayward back in the Boston Celtics lineup.
Knowing that’s not going to happen this season, he might as well have some fun with it, right?
When asked what phase of his rehab is Hayward in currently, Stevens quipped, “he’s in the running mechanics specialists phase.”
Earlier today, Celtics president of basketball operations Danny Ainge told NBC Sports Boston’s Abby Chin that Hayward was in Indianapolis working with a running mechanics specialist which is why he was not in attendance during Boston’s 113-107 overtime Game 1 win over Milwaukee.
Stevens wasn’t done having fun with the media who consistently pepper him with questions about Hayward despite him consistently saying Hayward will not play this season.
“I don’t know the medical diagnosis of what’s next. We’re just trying to get him ready for Friday’s game and we’re hopeful he can play and, whatever,” quipped Stevens. “He’s not going to join us in Milwaukee. He’s still a long, long, long, long ways away.”
Stevens added that Hayward is working with St. Vincent Sports Performance group, with a number of familiar faces from Hayward’s time at Butler.
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“He worked with some of their trainers when he was doing the pre-draft stuff,” Stevens said. “There’s a lot of familiarity there. It seems like a logical next step for him.”