Gordon Hayward sought assistance from a mental health counselor to help recover mentally from his gruesome ankle injury suffered last season.

"It's hard. It's embarrassing. You want to be the guy that says, 'I'm strong. I don't need any help,'" said Hayward.

Hayward also received words of encouragement from Paul George, who recovered from a catastrophic leg injury in 2014. George said it took a full 2 years before he could play freely again.

"Patience. Focus on who you are, not who you used to be," George advised Hayward.