Gordon Hayward Blossoming Into NBA Star For Utah Jazz
Gordon Hayward is blossoming into a serious offensive threat for the Utah Jazz
A year ago, many writers (myself included) wondered if Gordon Hayward could ever be a No. 1 option in the NBA. I saw a lot of Wally Szczerbiak 2.0, as a guy who could catch-and-shoot, play very little defense and would thrive as a No. 3 option. Instead, Hayward has shown everyone that the Utah Jazz were smart to match the four-year, $63 million deal offered by the Charlotte Hornets this summer.
Hayward has always been an above-average shooter, but it appeared that as the weight of the offense was put on his shoulders, he was more and more unable to get good shots for himself — and his numbers showed that. After having an excellent rookie season that saw him shoot 48.5 percent from the field and 47.3 percent from the 3-point line, Hayward regressed badly. In 2013-14, he made just 41.3 percent of his field goal attempts and just 30.4 percent from outside the 3-point line.
His raw averages last year were still impressive, averaging 16.2 points, 5.1 rebounds, 5.2 assists and 1.4 steals. He’s exceeding those numbers (and expectations) this year:
| Season | Age | Tm | G | MP | FG% | 3P% | 2P% | FT% | TRB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | PF | PTS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010-11 | 20 | UTA | 72 | 16.9 | .485 | .473 | .489 | .711 | 1.9 | 1.1 | 0.4 | 0.3 | 1.0 | 1.5 | 5.4 |
| 2011-12 | 21 | UTA | 66 | 30.5 | .456 | .346 | .496 | .832 | 3.5 | 3.1 | 0.8 | 0.6 | 1.7 | 1.6 | 11.8 |
| 2012-13 | 22 | UTA | 72 | 29.2 | .435 | .415 | .444 | .827 | 3.1 | 3.0 | 0.8 | 0.5 | 1.7 | 1.7 | 14.1 |
| 2013-14 | 23 | UTA | 77 | 36.4 | .413 | .304 | .453 | .816 | 5.1 | 5.2 | 1.4 | 0.5 | 2.8 | 2.0 | 16.2 |
| 2014-15 | 24 | UTA | 4 | 36.0 | .481 | .370 | .593 | 1.000 | 7.3 | 5.3 | 1.0 | 0.0 | 1.8 | 1.5 | 18.8 |
| Career | 291 | 28.5 | .437 | .365 | .466 | .815 | 3.5 | 3.2 | 0.9 | 0.5 | 1.8 | 1.7 | 12.1 |
Provided by Basketball-Reference.com: View Original Table
Generated 11/4/2014.
What’s most impressive to me is something that doesn’t show up in that stat table. Rather, it comes from the NBA.com SportVu tracking and pertains to Hayward’s ability to drive to the basket. He’s not the quickest guy in the league and he’s certainly never going to be the most prolific, but he’s developing into a smart player who picks his spots well.
Hayward ranks third (tied with James Harden) in the NBA in total player points on drives (24), trailing only Tony Wroten (29) and Monta Ellis (30). This is despite the fact that he averages less drives per game than any of those four (Ellis 11, Wroten 10.8, Harden 7.3). Hayward’s points per game on drives is a very respectable 6.0, which is tied with Harden and Tony Parker for sixth in basketball.
Could it be the Quin Snyder effect? Is it that he’s simply a talented player who hasn’t been properly coached yet? Perhaps. Looking at his shooting tables reveals a drastic change in his philosophy. Hayward is averaging the longest distance per shot (16.1) of his career, in large part because he’s being encouraged to shoot more 3’s instead of the 16 feet to the 3-point line range that had previously dominated his game. After attempting 29.6 percent of his shots from that range last year, Hayward is at just 7.4 percent this season (with 50 percent at the 3-point line).
Even more interesting is the fact that Hayward is also taking the least amount of shots inside three feet of his career, attempting just 18.5 percent of his shots there. It’s almost as if he’s playing Morey Ball — if you’re going to take a long jumper, make sure it’s a 3-pointer — otherwise, pick your spots to get to the basket.
It’s a small sample size to be sure — but it’s a trend we should keep an eye on. Hayward put on muscle during the offseason and is rebounding better than he ever has, he continues to pass the ball well and now he’s a much smarter offensive player. He’s going to be a star in this league quickly if he keeps it up.