The numbers are nice. Gordon Hayward is shooting 56.2% from the floor and averaging 17.3 points — and his 6.0 rebounds a game constitutes his career high.

But his best attributes are contained within — and beyond — his 4.3 assists per game.

The Celtics are doing a better job overall at moving the ball this season than last. (It would be hard not to, right?) But more good shots seem to appear when Hayward is part of the machinery.

Like the effect Marcus Smart has with his defense, inducing others to play harder on that end, Hayward’s willingness and ability to keep the rock moving encourages others to do the same.

“I think so,” Kemba Walker told the Herald. “Being that he’s so unselfish, I think that definitely trickles down to everyone else, for sure.”

Hayward tied Jayson Tatum for team high with six assists in the 118-102 Christmas Day victory in Toronto. Jaylen Brown earned the headlines with 30 points on 10-for-13 shooting (5-7 on treys, 5-6 free throws), but if you saw his highlights, you often saw Hayward finding Brown for open looks.

Hayward had missed the three previous games with a foot injury, but he fit right back in and the Celts looked crisper on his return.

“Gordon definitely helps and adds to this team, but when I’m out or he’s out, we’ve got to continue to move the ball and stuff like that,” Brown said. “I think what makes us dangerous is that we all can do the same things, you know, pass the ball, make the right reads. I’m getting a lot better at it. Jayson’s getting a lot better at it. Gordon’s REALLY good at it, and he’s proven.

“We can learn from him, so in turn we can do some of the same stuff that he can do. And maybe we can get him some easy ones.”

The Celtics aren’t able to bulldoze teams with their size, so Brad Stevens is allowed to play to one of his strengths — getting creative with smaller lineups. Finding good shots against taller people is critical, and Hayward plays into this perfectly. On Wednesday, he got Raptors on his hip and maneuvered for his own opportunities (14 points on 6-9 shooting) and spread the wealth.

“Gordon, he’s such a playmaker, man,” said Walker. “You know, he always makes the right plays. He’s super good, man, at just reading defenders and just getting rid of the basketball at the perfect times. He’s a really good playmaker. I think that’s one of the underrated things about him actually. He just knows how to play the game, and he’s super smart.

“We just know. If we’re in our spots, we know Gordon’s going to make the right play. He’s either going to score, or he’s going to draw a defender and get rid of it. Then it’s on us to make the next right play.”

Said Tatum, “He’s one of the best players in the league, so he definitely makes a difference when he’s playing. He’s spacing the floor and just making the right play.”

For Stevens, it’s a math issue, as well. While Smart is part of the core five, Walker, Brown, Tatum and Hayward are the more important scorers. Having the latter back means opponents will always have to make a defensive choice.

“I think what it allows you to do is it allows you to keep two of those guys on the court at one time,” the coach said after the Celts had snapped an eight-game losing streak in Toronto. “So when we subbed out Gordon and Kemba, you’re able to keep Jaylen and Jayson on the court, or vice versa or whatever, some combination of that. That’ll only get better when Smart’s back.”

Recently, Stevens put Hayward into larger perspective. He struggled at times last season as he returned from his horrific leg injury and rejoined a team that was having basketball chemistry issues. But the coast is clearer this year, and Hayward’s personal development and greater distance from the injury has played into it.

“He was playing really well at the end of the season,” Stevens said. “He played really well in the playoff series against Indiana last year. Then I think the summer that he had and the work that he put in I think led to a good start of the year.

“He can be a guy that you can feature, but he can be a guy that can be a complementary piece, which I think is a great strength, especially with the team we have. We’ve got a lot of guys that we’re going to. Nobody’s usage is going to be incredibly high, but on a given night we just pick our spots and he makes guys around him better. I think that’s been very clear early on this year.”