Utah Jazz: A Statement Shot From Gordon Hayward
If you’ve been without the Internet for 72 hours, have lived under a rock, don’t follow basketball at all, or haven’t had a breath in your body then don’t worry. Otherwise, you know that Gordon Hayward hit the shot heard ’round the NBA to lift the Utah Jazz over the Cleveland Cavaliers on Wednesday.
The Jazz and Cavaliers were tied with 3.4 seconds left when Hayward caught the ball at the top of the break, took two dribbles to the right and reminded everyone that money’s on his mind.
Hayward nailed the game-winner against Cleveland in such a fashion that the NBA took notice. How’d the Jazz follow this up this performance? Poorly. They lost Friday to the Dallas Mavericks, 105-82.
In the Mavericks game, the stats show that Hayward isn’t the shooter everyone thinks he is. With the athletic ability Hayward possesses, there’s no need for him to take seven 3-pointers, but that’s what he did against Dallas, making only two.
His game is best when he drives in the paint and uses his strength in the lane. His mid-range game normally arrives after a few attempts at the rim have gone in.
Hayward’s shot against the Cavaliers was more than a buzzer beater. If Hayward would have missed the shot, he would have earned a reputation that’s not fair to his game.
Hayward had to make the shot against the Jazz because if he missed it, he would’ve earned himself a spot on the Tony Romo not-clutch Hall of Fame.
Hayward, who was known as a choker already, had the opportunity to make a game-winning shot earlier in his college career at Butler, and came up empty, missing a half-court heave in the 2010 national championship game.
When he faced the Cavaliers and had a chance to win the game, this shot was more than about redemption, it was about heart. Hayward made that shot to fight the demons of clutch play that have haunted him since 2010. That same demon is the one that’s affecting many players in today’s NBA, LeBron James.
Before the season started I wrote a story about how Hayward’s going to take the next step in his game. This season because of his play, Hayward has made me look like a fortune teller, and for that I say “Thank You.” On the season Hayward is averaging 18 points, 5.3 assists and 6.3 rebounds per game. and is shooting 48 percent from the field and 34 percent from the 3-point line.
Phrases such as “Glorious Gordon, Hayward’s Haymaker, or the best player in the league” were all headlines the night after Hayward’s dagger, well maybe not so much the last statement. However, this year Hayward isn’t the best player in the league, but he’s making his case why his name belongs within the top 15 players in the NBA.
Against the Cleveland Cavaliers “G-Time” stepped up his game and nailed one of the most important shots of his career.
The Cavaliers game was a big win for the Jazz. For a long time the Jazz have struggled to compete with the behemoths in the NBA and in my eyes this was a must-win game. It’s only the beginning of November and I’m donning it the playoff race. For a team like Utah, they need to jump out early and rack up the wins to get a big lead in the Western Conference.
The Jazz have one of the best chances to make the playoffs in the Western Conference. People can use the cliché “taking it one day at a time” but now the Western Conference is wide open and the Jazz can squeak in their way in.
Two of the targets the Jazz should aim for are the Phoenix Suns and the Sacramento Kings. Also, the Jazz are only trailing the Timberwolves and the Trailblazers for the Northwestern division lead. With the devastating injuries to the Oklahoma City Thunder, their organization looks like a used car salesman, they’re looking for deals on new pieces.
Their misfortunes give the Jazz one of the best chances to make the playoffs. Hayward who now has the trust in his teammates has made the change from looking like the gaming nerd he is, into the all-star the Jazz need.
Whether it meant stonewalling James late in the fourth quarter when he was driving baseline, or getting a chase down block on James, Hayward proved before his shot that if Jazz needed anything on the court that he was the man to count on. The shot he hit against the Cavaliers was the icing on the cake.
Right now, there is no other small forward in the NBA that has a future as bright as Hayward’s. The man is going to start having to wear sunglasses at night.
Now that Hayward has finally showed the rest of the world what many in Utah have already realized, its time to take the next step and bring them back to the playoffs. I originally thought this team could finish 10th in the West. After the beginning of the season (preseason included) they have exceeded expectations.