Utah Jazz: Hand Injury Sidelines Gordon Hayward
Utah Jazz forward Gordon Hayward is expected to miss the regular season opener after dislocating a finger on his left hand Friday afternoon. The team anticipates Gordon to miss six weeks and potentially 13 regular season games.
The Utah Jazz will have to initially pursue its first playoff berth in five years without the services of forward Gordon Hayward.
A dislocated finger, along with a broken finger on the left hand, is expected to keep Hayward, Utah’s leading scorer last season, out for up to six weeks.
If the timetable is accurate, the six-week absence of Gordon would result in 13 missed games, or nearly 16 percent of the regular season.
Eight of those contests will be played outside of Salt Lake City, with seven opponents having appeared in the 2016 playoffs.
Bad news. Gordon Hayward suffered a dislocated and broken finger on his left hand. He's expected to miss six weeks, according to sources.
— Jody Genessy (@DJJazzyJody) October 7, 2016
A specific cause of the injury emerged later in the day, as it is believed Hayward’s left hand became entangled with a piece of clothing in the middle of a play.
Some details on Hayward: injury occurred when he got his hand caught inside a teammate's jersey, league source tells The Salt Lake Tribune
— Eric Walden (@tribjazz) October 7, 2016
The same situation forced Clippers guard Chris Paul to miss the final two games of the opening round of the playoffs against Portland after he caught his hand in the back of an opponent’s jersey while attempting to steal the ball.
Paul underwent surgery and was given a four-to-six week recovery period. Since it was the offseason, there was no need for Paul to accelerate his recovery time, but he revealed he was feeling 100 percent at Media Day for Los Angeles.
With the Jazz slated to begin the season Oct. 25 in Portland, Hayward wouldn’t even be halfway through the rehabilitation process if he does take six weeks to fully heal.
Replicating Hayward’s wide array of talents will be difficult for Utah at the beginning of the season.
Head coach Quin Snyder was constantly shifting Hayward all over the court, as he spent 86 percent of his time at small forward, 11 percent at shooting guard and three percent playing power forward, according to Basketball-Reference.
The offense of the Jazz was a bit atypical, as power forward Derrick Favors led the team in touches per game, with Hayward right behind him at 67.5, while Favors and center Rudy Gobert were the most frequent passers on the team.
The ball frequently found its way into the post, but when it was time to make a play, it found its way into the hands of Hayward. The former Butler star led the team with 296 assists last season.
The glut of talent at the small forward position has left the contributions of Gordon overlooked, as he quietly submitted one of the most complete seasons in the league last year.
Hayward was one of just eight players to average at least 19.0 points, 5.0 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 1.0 steals per game last season. The 1,578 points he scored served as a career-high and was the 16th most in the NBA.
The 6-foot-8 forward scored 155 points off isolation plays, the 19th most in the NBA, and thrived when he was attacking the rim. Hayward tied with Giannis Antetokounmpo and Isaiah Thomas in completed three-point plays, converting 31 free throws after making a shot and drawing the foul.
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The scoring prowess of Hayward was on full display during the first two preseason games for the Jazz. Hayward averaged 16.0 points in just 20 minutes of play and converted 55.6 percent of his attempts from the field.
Utah has a few options for replacing Hayward in the early part of the season. The team can either slide Joe Johnson, a prominent free agent signing by the team this summer, into the small forward position or insert second-year forward Trey Lyles into the starting lineup.
The Jazz seemingly have grown accustomed to dealing with injuries over the past two years, as Dante Exum missed his entire sophomore season after tearing his ACL during the offseason while playing for the Australian national team.
Alec Burks was limited to 31 games after he underwent knee and ankle surgery to have debris removed, while a sprained MCL forced Gobert to miss 21 contests.
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Hayward is expected to return in mid-November, but his absence will leave a tremendous impact in Utah.