Gordon Hayward opens up about decision to leave Celtics

Gordon Hayward is having a better season with the Charlotte Hornets than he ever did with the Boston Celtics. His decision to move on from the Celtics wasn't surprising, and Hayward recently opened up about why he decided to part ways with the franchise in a recent blog post:

"When I signed, I envisioned going somewhere where I'd have more responsibility and could maximize who I am as a basketball player — or at least, have an opportunity to maximize who I am. I have that here. I have the ball in my hands more and I have more responsibility. That's what I wanted."

When he signed with the Celtics, Hayward was expected to flourish under his former college head coach, Brad Stevens. Various injuries derailed his career in Boston, which allowed Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown to blossom as threats on the wings, moving Hayward down the depth chart. 

In Charlotte, Hayward has had the opportunity to thrive with a young supporting cast of LaMelo Ball, P.J. Washington, Miles Bridges and Devonte Graham. He's averaging 21.4 points, 5.3 rebounds and 3.9 assists per game while shooting 48.1% from the field and 40.6% from deep. 

A few months ago, Hayward also admitted that he left Boston for a "fresh start." He has certainly found that with the Hornets.