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Utah Jazz: Playoffs Are On Gordon Hayward’s Shoulders

By DJoumbarey A. Moreau

Mar 19, 2015; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Utah Jazz forward Gordon Hayward (20) drives to the basket against Los Angeles Lakers forward Wesley Johnson (11) during the game at Staples Center. Mandatory Credit: Richard Mackson-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 19, 2015; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Utah Jazz forward Gordon Hayward (20) drives to the basket against Los Angeles Lakers forward Wesley Johnson (11) during the game at Staples Center. Mandatory Credit: Richard Mackson-USA TODAY Sports /
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If there is 10 seconds left on the shot clock, who’s the person that you would want to have the basketball in their hands?

The answer’s Gordon Hayward, right?

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It was apparent last season seeing Hayward play that time and time again he was the person who would come through for the Utah Jazz during the last waning seconds of the game.

Hayward is the most clutch player on the team and that’s saying a lot because on Utah’s roster they have several other players who are very skilled when it comes to handling pressure like Trey Burke and Rodney Hood.

Nevertheless, for as strong as Hayward’s clutch gene is, this season his clutch ability won’t be defined by a single jump shot on a last possession. Alternatively, we should be looking to see if Hayward can handle the burden of attempting to guide the Jazz to the playoffs.

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This season Utah’s got a lot of goals and aspirations, in particular, to make the playoffs. The last playoff appearance from the Jazz was in 2012. Only two of his teammates were on that 2012 roster, Alec Burks, and Derrick Favors.

Unlike Burks and Favors, Hayward is the captain of this ship and next season Utah’s ability to make the playoffs will largely rest upon his shoulders. Thankfully Utah banked on the right person for the job.

In an interview with Aaron Falk of the Salt Lake Tribune, Hayward said this: “This is going to be my sixth year in the league, with four of them not making the playoffs — and one was a first-round sweep … I’m definitely ready to get this going.”

Last season Hayward had a breakout season which was the best year of his whole career. Hayward averaged 19.3 points, 4.1 assists, 4.9 rebounds, 1.4 steals per game and posted a 20.24 PER. With injuries to Kawhi Leonard, Kevin Durant, and Carmelo Anthony, outside of LeBron James, it was safe to say that Hayward had the best season from a small forward.

Hayward’s versatility didn’t win him the Defensive Player of the Year like it did Leonard, nor did it give him an All-Star selection like Anthony and Durant. What Hayward did though was earn the respect of his NBA companions.

“This is going to be my sixth year in the league, with four of them not making the playoffs — and one was a first-round sweep…I’m definitely ready to get this going.”

Durant is coming back from injury this year and the Oklahoma City Thunder will be a tougher team. Leonard just got LaMarcus Aldridge on his San Antonio Spurs roster and they’ll be substantially better. It only means that next season Hayward will have to step his game up to an even greater level.

As much as the NBA owes Hayward for shunning him from the All-Star Game and All-NBA team, Hayward owes the Jazz organization and his teammates much more.

Hayward’s game is tailor made for the hard grind of the NBA season because he possess many different skill sets that he’s superior at. One of the aspects in Hayward’s game that separates him from most NBA superstars is that he has the ability to make his teammates better.

For the entire season last year we got to see Hayward have the basketball in his hands and play the point forward position. Hayward frequently got the basketball at the top of the wing and had to create scoring opportunities for his teammates. Derrick Favors, in particular, was one of the players who feasted playing beside Hayward.

Since the defense understands that Hayward enjoys attacking the rim (last season he shot 6.1 free throws per game) they tend to sag off of him a bit so that he can’t keep getting to the free throw line. During the situations when Hayward was put in the pick and roll with Favors the defense didn’t know how to adjust because of it.

Since Hayward himself is an adequate passer, he used the pick and roll to his advantage. When the defense played off of him he made sure that he got the basketball to Favors for a wide open jump shot.

It’s safe to say that next season Hayward is going to have yet another wonderful season because of the talent that is around him. Jazz should get excited.

The only question that remains is can Hayward get Utah back to the playoffs? I’d like to bet on it.

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