Hayward hopefuls: Dumb and dumber

WALTHAM — Gordon Hayward has been making very good progress nearly seven months after his fractured tibia and dislocated left ankle.

Gordon Hayward is on the Celtics’ playoff roster, and there is a chance the club could be playing for a while still.

So . . .

“No,” said Danny Ainge. But what if the Celts get past Cleveland and make it to the NBA Finals and five guys eat some bad fish and get sick before Game 3 against the Warriors/Rockets?

“Yeah, that’s not happening,” Ainge said. “I don’t see that.

“Like, listen, that’s two weeks away, and he hasn’t played basketball yet. I mean, he hasn’t played oneon-one yet. He’s doing basketball activities, but he has not played basketball yet.

“So, no, the answer is no. He won’t play.”

What if the tests all look good and Hayward is able to accelerate his pace and you need a body to stand on the perimeter and space the floor?

“Yeah, he won’t play,” Ainge told the Herald. “We’re stuck with our 10 or 11 guys we still have left.”

To paraphrase what Ainge believes is the greatest film in cinematic history, “Dumb and Dumber”: “So you’re telling me there’s not a chance.”

While there were some around the Celtics who believe Hayward had a fair shot to return this season after surgery revealed no greater problems than first identified, the focus always has been his long-term health and availability. To that end, things have gone very well.

“Gordon’s making great strides,” Ainge said. “He’s sprinting, he’s jumping a little bit, he’s cutting a little bit, he’s gaining a lot of momentum. I think that he’s in a good place mentally because he’s seeing and feeling the light at the end of the tunnel of being able to return and being himself. I think he’s starting to see and feel that some.”

Hayward was back in Boston while the Celts were in Philadelphia for Games 3 and 4 and is returning this weekend. Otherwise, he has been spending his rehab time in Indiana.

“There’s a running coach who works on mechanics,” Ainge said. “Brad (Stevens is) very familiar with this group, and Gordon’s worked with these guys for five or six years. They’re communicating with us daily, and Johan (Bilsborough, the Celts’ director of sports science) has been there two or three times.”

He added that Hayward will be working out here with the club’s strength coaches and undergoing further tests to chart his progress. He will wear all kinds of Celtics gear — except a game uniform.