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Tony Jones on the NBA: You may not like Gordon Hayward, but give him his due for facing the music Friday

Boston Celtics forward Gordon Hayward takes questions from members of the media during a news conference Nov. 2 at the team's' training facility in Waltham, Mass. (AP Photo/Steven Senne)

Gordon Hayward stood tall amongst a throng of media Friday night, willing to face questions about his move to Boston for the first time from Utah reporters.

He’s a little heavier than normal, the product of healing from a broken leg and dislocated ankle and not being able to run for almost three months. But he was in good spirits on the night his former team faced his new one for the first time. Hayward said he’s had no regrets, and he looked the part.

Much has been made about his exit from the Jazz, how messy it went down, the issues it caused the Jazz and the goodwill he’s forever lost in Utah. If he travels with the Celtics to Vivint Smart Home Arena in March, he certainly will get booed. And he will deserve it on multiple levels.

But he also deserves a bit of props for how he handled Friday night. Players battling potential season-ending injuries don’t have to show up at arenas for games, and Hayward didn’t have to face the music from the media or his former teammates. He didn’t have to go to dinner with Joe Ingles and Jazz assistant Johnnie Bryant on Thursday night, although both are counted among his closest friends. He didn’t have to be accountable in person to the Jazz. He easily could have waited until March. Or he could have put off the whole thing until next season, when he’ll be healthy enough to play.

However he showed accountability by coming to the arena. And the desire to put the experience behind him. If there’s a common thread that exists among Hayward, the Jazz and Celtics, it’s this: All sides are tired of talking about his free-agent odyssey. And everyone understandably wants it to go away.

Jazz coach Quin Snyder was patient answering questions Friday morning and during Friday night’s pregame availability. He was measured and thoughtful. He knew it was coming. But publicly and privately, he views talking about Hayward as a disservice to his current team.

Hayward said he hadn’t talked to many of his former teammates before the Jazz defeated the Celtics. He didn’t sound all that interested in doing so, either.

“I didn’t want them to see me before the game or anything,” Hayward said. “I know they aren’t worried about me.”

The Jazz have moved on. More importantly, they’ve replaced the star power vacated by Hayward’s departure, and maybe then some. Rookie guard Donovan Mitchell has the makings of a superstar. It’s hard for anyone, much less a first-year player, to walk into TD Garden and close out the Celtics with 10 points in the fourth quarter. But Mitchell did that Friday night.

Almost as impressive as his two ice-cold 3-pointers down the stretch was his defense on Boston star Kyrie Irving, one of the most difficult guys in the league to stop one-on-one. And Mitchell was able to do that when it mattered most. Mitchell has the look of an All-Star.

Would Mitchell have been allowed to grow in this manner with Hayward on the roster? The answer is probably no.

For Hayward, he seems to have fit right into Celtics culture. He addressed the media Friday night adorned in Boston gear. He sports a scruffy beard. In so many ways, he’s no longer the kid the Jazz drafted in 2010.

He wants to return this season and is pushing his rehabilitation in hopes of making that happen. He’s very much excited for a future in Boston that looks brighter by the day. The Celtics are 24-7 and one of the two best teams in the Eastern Conference. They have the look of a team that can compete for NBA titles, sooner rather than later.

But Hayward knew he wouldn’t be able to embrace his future if he didn’t confront his past and put it to rest. And that’s a big reason he made an appearance Friday night. He didn’t leave the Jazz on great terms, and he knows that.

Friday night wasn’t grandiose. There weren’t hugs at midcourt or elaborate photo opportunities. The Jazz took a casual approach to their best win of the season, and Hayward was barely a public thought postgame.

But him being there went a long way toward healing open wounds, even if subtle. And for that, he deserves credit, just as he would have deserved even more criticism if he hadn’t come and faced his former team.

NBA POWER RANKINGS <br>1. Houston Rockets • Are unbeaten with Chris Paul in the lineup so far this season. <br>2. Golden State Warriors • Have caught a rhythm, even with Stephen Curry and Draymond Green out of the lineup, thanks to Kevin Durant’s all-around play. <br>3. Boston Celtics • Kyrie Irving continues to play at an MVP level. <br>4. Cleveland Cavaliers • In his 15th season in the league, LeBron James is having a career season. <br>5. San Antonio Spurs • Kawhi Leonard finally makes his season debut, and comes back to a team that did plenty good without him. <br>6. Toronto Raptors • Averaging almost 111 points per game, second0best in the Eastern Conference. <br>7. Minnesota Timberwolves • The presence of Jimmy Butler means so much to this team that is still learning how to finish games. <br>8. Indiana Pacers • Victor Oladipo deserves to be an All-Star this season. <br>9. Milwaukee Bucks • Have taken off since trading for Eric Bledsoe from Phoenix. <br>10. Washington Wizards • Will improve now that John Wall is back from injury that sidelined him a few weeks. <br>11. Denver Nuggets • Nikola Jokic is back from a sprained ankle. <br>12. Portland Trail Blazers • Weber State’s Damian Lillard comes up big in road win over Miami. <br>13. New York Knicks • Things may change in a hurry when they hit the road, since they’re 2-8 away from Madison Square Garden. <br>14. Philadelphia 76ers • Joel Embiid shines in win over Timberwolves, then trolls Karl-Anthony Towns on Instagram. <br>15. New Orleans Pelicans • A much better perimeter shooting team than original projections. <br>16. Oklahoma City Thunder • Got a much-needed road victory in Paul George’s Indiana homecoming. <br>17. Detroit Pistons • Have hit a big slide since starting the season 14-6. <br>18. Miami Heat • Hassan Whiteside has missed seven straight games due to a bone bruise in his knee. <br>19. Utah Jazz • One of the worst teams in the league on the road, and are in the middle of a long road trip. <br>20. Brooklyn Nets • From Colorado to the NBA, Spencer Dinwiddie proves he belongs. <br>21. Los Angeles Clippers • Finally gets point guard Milos Teodosic back from a foot injury. <br>22. Los Angeles Lakers • Becoming fun to watch. The young talent is intriguing. <br>23. Orlando Magic • Aaron Gordon clears concussion protocol, returns to the lineup Friday night. <br>24. Chicago Bulls • Have won four straight with Nikola Mirotic playing the best ball of his career. <br>25. Charlotte Hornets • Became the 11th straight victim for the Houston Rockets. <br>26. Sacramento Kings • Former Jazzman George Hill scores 18 as Kings beat Suns this week. <br>27. Phoenix Suns • Received injury hardship from the NBA, used it to sign guard Isaiah Canaan. <br>28. Dallas Mavericks • Hung tough against Golden State before eventually falling Thursday.<br>29. Memphis Grizzlies • Watch out below — have lost 16 of their past 17 games. <br>30. Atlanta Hawks • Miles Plumlee, who the Hawks traded for Dwight Howard, has averaged 3.6 points and 3.3 rebounds in nine games.