SPORTS

Celtics: First official practice with old coach Brad Stevens 'was a little weird' for Gordon Hayward

Scott Souza, @Scott_Souza

NEWPORT, R.I. — Eight years after they were last together for a practice at a college campus in Indianapolis, Celtics coach Brad Stevens and All-Star addition Gordon Hayward came full circle Tuesday at Salve Regina University.

“It was a little weird,” said Hayward following the team’s second workout of a double session on the first day of training camp, “especially when he was drawing up plays in the huddle. I remember that like it was yesterday, for sure. So that part was definitely a little surreal at first."

While both Hayward and Stevens have been reticent to spend too much time waltzing down memory lane from their years together, and near-miss national championship, at Butler University, Hayward allowed when he signed with Boston as a maximum-salary free agent this summer that his trust and comfort level with his former coach was a big part of the decision.

On Tuesday, Stevens got to see up close for the first time in an official practice just how much has changed for the scrawny former high school tennis star he recruited to Butler.

“He’s gotten really good,” the coach said. “It’s fun to be back out here with him and see all the things that he’s improved on.”

While the 27-year-old’s skills have improved immensely to the point where he averaged 21.9 points per game for the Utah Jazz last season, there are certain aspects of his game and personality that remain a welcome, familiar sight for Stevens.

“Winning’s got to be the most important thing,” the coach said. “You’ve got to be competitive. You’ve got to be tough-minded. He’s always been all of that.

One of the major things that attracted the Celtics to Hayward this summer was also his versatility with Stevens saying on Tuesday that he can “pretty much mesh with anybody, at anytime, anywhere.”

“There was a lot of interchangeable positions in Utah as well,” Hayward said. “And we played with some space. The personnel now that we have here allows us to do that a little bit more. When you can do that, that’s when the game is fun. That’s when you’re out there talking. It’s all about communication.”

Stevens was generally positive about the first day of camp – which he said was held in Newport, Rhode Island this year to allow guys a better chance to get to know each other because of the massive overhaul of the roster. While 13 of the 17 players at training camp – not including Marcus Morris, who is absent pending his assault trial in Arizona – are new to this year’s team, Hayward may have a bit of a leg up on his fellow newcomers when it comes to getting comfortable with the system.

“He is one of those guys who understands what Brad likes,” said Celtics guard Marcus Smart, one of the four returners from last year’s Eastern Conference finalist. “He is very versatile. He can guard the one, the two, the three and some fours. He’s a guy who fits well because that’s what we like to do. We like to put those skill sets out there who can do multiple things.”

After just one day, Hayward said he can already envision how some of those things will play out on the floor in a gam

“One guy brings it up and it doesn’t matter who it is,” he said. “You can really run and gun. That’s going to be a weapon of ours having so many different playmakers, so many players who can do so many different things. It should be fun.

“For sure, I can push it. Kyrie (Irving) can play off the ball. Jaylen (Brown) can push it. Jayson Tatum can push it. Al (Horford) got it off the glass today and pushed it one time. It’s really fun when you don’t have to worry about that and you can play a little faster too. Because you can just fly it up the court.”

Which is one of the reasons Irving said he tried recruiting Hayward to Cleveland when he was a restricted free agent with the Jazz back in 2014.

“Gordon’s going to be himself,” Irving said on Tuesday. “He’s going to run the floor, play defense, offensive rebound, crash the defensive glass, and do everything on the floor.”