Gordon Hayward talks rehab, progress on broken hand

Nearing the end of the fourth week of an anticipated six-week recovery, Boston Celtics forward Gordon Hayward opens up about his hand injury, it’s rehabilitation and progress.

Boston Celtics forward Gordon Hayward is getting closer to a return from a broken hand sustained in November, and recently opened up about his rehabilitation process at a team practice.

Waylaid by the fracture, which took place in a tilt with the San Antonio Spurs on Nov. 9, he was initially estimated to have a six-week recovery. Now it appears the Butler product may be able to return ahead of schedule, though for now a return date is still up in the air.

During media availability, Hayward spoke about how he’s been inching towards increasingly hands-on activity as he works his way back from that fracture.

“It went well, [I] played a little … [and had] hybrid contact today with coaches,” he explained (via NESN).”

“It’s definitely sore and and I think that’s something I [have] to work through … that to make my hands stronger, and over the next couple days I can do that and get it more of the same strength of my right hand.”

Before the hand incident, the Indianapolis native was playing his best basketball since a catastrophic injury moments into his first game as a Celtic, needing the two seasons since to get back on the court and into form.

Thankfully for Hayward, this injury was of an entirely different magnitude. Even so, the bone he broke in his left hand — while not his shooting hand — still comes with its own challenges.

“I think it’s going to be a little while — and plus I was right hand dominant anyway, so it’s never going to probably be the exact same — but get it more strengthened so the percentage is closer to my right [hand].”

The Indianan is unsure when he might return to action given his hand reacts differently day to day, but remains optimistic about getting back on the court.

“It’s still hard to say exactly, but we have some good days here at home where I can practice and really do the things that I want to do, and feel it out and see how it responds … I did a lot on it today so I think it’s going to be more sore. [It] might swell up, so hopefully as soon as I’m done here, [I’ll] go ice it, get some of the swelling down to take it day by day.”

Lately, the contact exercises have been ramped up gradually, though with certain expectations one can’t count on in live-game action. The limits of his body also place barriers to the speed of his recovery. Post-practice, his hand is still swelling up from exertion, which he simply “pushes back down”.

It’s probably also fair to say that despite the comparatively high degree of skill many on the coaching staff have with the game of basketball, they are also no comparison to the length and strength Hayward will have to face on the court from his peers once back in action.

“I did some contact today against coaches,” began the former Bulldog as he explained the difference between what can be done in practice compared to the increased difficulty of what he can expect in an NBA game.

“Their coaches aren’t quite NBA players — I know some of them played basketball prior — but you know before getting to that level, I wanted to get comfortable using my left hand in a live situation, which I did today and that went well, so go through the progressions here …

[I’ll] start ramping up the live stuff that I’m doing in the contact situations, making things less structured. Today was a lot more structured, so I can … know what’s going on and can prepare for it in a game. That’s the next step, making stuff more on structure.”

Hayward noted he expects to need some treatment for “a lengthy part of the season” if not all of it to manage the symptoms.

The hand getting hit as players scramble for balls or position is another issue concerning the 6-foot-7 forward; “I’ve never liked things on my hands. It’s hard to play the game and have something like that, but we’re going to look into that. ”

He’s also been working on catching, “passes, left-hand picking [the ball] up with one hand, that type of stuff,” as he gets close to return, but perhaps his biggest concern won’t even necessarily come on that side of the court. Trying to defend opponents with a hand just returned from a fracture presents its own set of issues.

“That’s something that I think is the one thing that I’m not worried about, but concerned, is it’s one thing to dribble and pass with it. It’s another to have somebody coming at you full speed that you [have to] put your arm on and keep them off the glass, or somebody pushes you, you got to try to fight them back or … pushing off on somebody.”

“That’s something that will take a little bit of strength, and so that’s what I’m going to build up, he added.

Hayward had been averaging 18.9 points, 7.1 boards and 4.1 assists per game while shooting 60 % from two and 43.3 % from deep before the injury waylaid him, so it would be understandable if he was frustrated given how long his last recovery was. But the Butler product remains optimistic, even downplaying the gravity of his latest problem.

“It’s been great … this injury is nothing compared to the last one. Anytime you  endure something upper body, at least you can be doing legs — running around, jumping — that’s huge in my opinion.”

With the Celtics struggling a bit since his injury towards the end of their early-season win streak, the return of a player putting up All-Star-like numbers would also be huge for a team about to enter a stretch of teams mostly above .500 in the win column.

While we may not know exactly when Hayward can be expected to suit up for Boston again, with news like this, it doesn’t seem likely to be long.