Back in early March, Boston Celtics head coach Brad Stevens shot down the possibility of injured star forward Gordon Hayward returning to the basketball court this year.
Though Stevens admitted Hayward had been continuing to “progress” from the dislocated ankle and fractured tibia he suffered just minutes into Boston’s regular season opener against the Cleveland Cavaliers, the chances of an NBA Playoffs return for the former All-Star are slim to none. Per Michael Singer of USA Today, Stevens confirmed on March 3rd that Hayward was a “super long way away from even being in on a 1-on-0 workout where he’s cutting.”
However, as bleak as the prospect of Hayward’s lost season maybe, Stevens did find some humor in the situation. As the head coach continues even now to field questions on just the tiniest chance of a Hayward return, Stevens joked he might “just list him as questionable, just to mess with people.”
Stevens has an idea about bringing Gordon Hayward back for the playoffs: "Maybe just to list him as questionable, just to mess with people."
— Mark Murphy (@Murf56) March 28, 2018
It’s a strategy that is sure to get Stevens berated with questions from the media, but also seems like opportunity for a practical joke that is too good to pass up.
So c’mon Brad…
