Utah Jazz: Gordon Hayward Needs Defense to Become Elite
The Utah Jazz took a gamble on Gordon Hayward when they signed him to a long-term deal last season and it paid off.
The risk that management took was well with the value of the contract that he signed because Hayward has been living up to his end of the deal. Since re-signing with the team that drafted him in 2010 from Butler University, it’s been nothing but a great ride. It’s been five years since that glorious draft night for Hayward and he’s getting ready to enter into a new beginning of his game.
At 25 years old, Hayward’s getting ready to enter into the prime of his career and there’s nothing anyone can do to stop him from dominating.
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Looking at the evidence of last season when Hayward averaged 19.3 points, 4.1 assists, and 4.9 rebounds, and 1.4 steals per game, while posting an above average Player Efficiency Rating of 20.24, it’s safe to say that Hayward’s best NBA years are in front of him.
That was the first season where he averaged more than 16 points a game, and this season his scoring numbers should jump into the 20’s. Last season he scratched the surface of his true potential and it translated into Utah winning 38 games and coming into 2015-16 as one of the sexy picks to break into the playoffs.
Could this become the year that Hayward becomes an elite small forward in the NBA?
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In the Western Conference, nothing is given and everything that anyone is given is earned. From getting recognition as a good player in the league, to getting a team record better than .500, to even making it to an All-Star Game, or an All-NBA team, everything is earned. Think about how many great Western Conference stars haven’t even made it to the Western Conference Finals yet.
Hayward last season was passed over for the All-Star Game for veterans such as Dirk Nowitzki and Tim Duncan (that sentence can also be applied for Hayward’s teammate, Derrick Favors).
This season Hayward’s not only attempting to make the All-Star Game to show everyone in the league that he’s one of the 24 best players in the league but more importantly he wants to get back to the playoffs.
Hayward made the playoffs in his sophomore year and had a decent showing in the postseason. However, to solidify himself with the elite small forwards in the game he needs to make it back again sooner rather than later.
This year, playoffs and all of the other accolades that come from winning won’t be something that will be ignored in Utah because people are finally beginning to take notice.
The only way that Utah will make the postseason is if Hayward commits himself to the defensive side of the basketball more so than he did last year. Hayward had a fine year working under head coach Quin Snyder’s defensive schemes so it’s only natural that he’ll take a bigger step in year two because he’s gotten better.
Hayward now will have to start assuming even bigger challenges defensively. Simply put when the best player on the opposing team dribbles the basketball and he’s taller than 6’5″ and shorter than 6’11″, it should automatically be known as Hayward’s assignment.
For example, look at the other small forwards in the game that Hayward is trying to catch up to. LeBron James has made strides as a defender from when he first entered the league. Even though last season wasn’t his best defensive effort, LeBron’s been known as a person who can guard five different positions on the court.
Kevin Durant, a person who shares the same division as Hayward, has also made tremendous strides defensively.
Durant’s lateral quickness could always improve more, but he’s still a very underrated defender and he’s gotten significantly better through his entire career. Furthermore, Kawhi Leonard last year won the Defensive Player of the Year award and was the first perimeter-oriented player to win the trophy since Ron Artest won the trophy in 2004.
Leonard is on his way to a Hall of Fame career and it’s not because he scores a ton of points, it’s because he plays defense so well. Hayward needs to get better on the defensive end because if his defense increases it only will help Utah win more games.
Utah has high expectations for the Jazz. Fans need to expect Hayward to play better defense if they want to achieve their goals.
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