Can We Consider Gordon Hayward An Elite Small Forward?

Kevin Durant, LeBron James, Carmelo Anthony and Kawhi Leonard.

At their position those four players mentioned above are the only players who are better than the Utah Jazz small forward, Gordon Hayward. This season Hayward has stepped up in a large way and he’s made sure everyone in the NBA knows that he’s one of the elite players in the game.

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Out of all the small forwards in the league, Hayward’s numbers are on par. This season Hayward is fourth in points, (19.8), third in assists (4.2), seventh in field goal percentage (46 percent), and seventh in steals per game (1.3). These numbers are only proving the fact that Hayward is one of the most unique players in the game of basketball because of his versatility.

At the age of 24 he’s already the type of person who the Utah Jazz should build around. His game is very distinct and every time Hayward plays on the basketball court, Jazz fans learn something new about his game.

When it comes to shooting there are only a few in the league that are better. Hayward’s got range. In fact in the half court he enjoys using the pick and roll and when the defender blindly goes under the screen he has no problem taking a dribble to either his right or his left, and shooting a fadeaway jumper.

Most people might think it’s a bad shot, but for Hayward his off the screen fadeaway has become a commonplace go-to move.

Additionally when Hayward’s not shooting he’s more than talented enough to finish around the basket. Because he’s a scorer he has a variety of moves inside of the paint to finish. During the times when he’s not shooting floaters at the rim, he’s making sure he’s going through his defender.

With the added strength he acquired in the offseason, he’s got no problem mixing it up, getting physical, and jumping right in his defenders chest to dunk on them so hard they get embarrassed for attempting to jump with him.

What makes Hayward stand out as a player is the fact that he’s so good when it comes to handling the offense of the Jazz. Most of the time the Jazz don’t run with a traditional point guard, and they use Hayward as their point forward. When the basketball is in Hayward’s hands he’s the person who often sets up his teammates for easy scores.

Even though Hayward has to do so much for his team to even stay close in games, it’s not completely fair that he’s asked to do a lot. If there was ever an assigned role for Hayward to primarily be utilized as a scorer there’s no doubt that he would average more than 24 points per game.

This season he’s only shooting the basketball 14.4 times a night and he’s averaging around 20 points while doing it.

One of the biggest differences between Hayward and the four small forwards mentioned is that he’s never played with another All-Star player. James had Wade, and Bosh for four seasons. Durant’s been playing with Westbrook, and even James Harden at one point.

Leonard is surrounded by players in Tim Duncan, Manu Ginobili, and Tony Parker that are future Hall of Fame players. As for Anthony he’s played with Allen Iverson, Chauncey Billups, and Amar’e Stoudemire.

Hayward on the other hand has never played with an All-Star on the same team he was apart of. In fact since Hayward’s been in the league the only players he’s ever played with that made the All-Star game in his career are Andrei Kirilenko, Paul Millsap, Mehmet Okur, and Devin Harris. His time spent with them all occurred before he was a seasoned NBA player.

For the most part Hayward’s had to learn how to become the go-to player for the Jazz. It might have been done by trial and error, but he’s certainly figured it out.

Jan 9, 2015; Oklahoma City, OK, USA; Utah Jazz forward Gordon Hayward (20) attempts a shot against Oklahoma City Thunder guard Anthony Morrow (2) during the fourth quarter at Chesapeake Energy Arena. Mandatory Credit: Mark D. Smith-USA TODAY Sports

On Monday night when Hayward played against the New Orleans Pelicans, Hayward gave the NBA one of the many examples that he too is on par with the rest of his peers in the league. Against the Pelicans it was Hayward who put the team on his back and led the Jazz to a victory.

In the second half of the game Hayward scored 25 of his game-high 32 points. The product of his big second half explosion was the Jazz overcoming a 14-point third quarter deficit that ended up giving Utah the 100-96 victory.

Hayward finished with 32 points, seven rebounds, eight assists, two steals and one blocked shot. It was also the second time in two games that Hayward hit the 30-point mark, both of which resulted in Jazz victories. In addition it was also the seventh time in the season where Hayward scored at least 30 points.

For all of the greatness that he’s had this season it was a bit surprising to see that the Sacramento Kings center DeMarcus Cousins, was selected before Hayward. So when Hayward played against the Kings it was wonderful seeing how aggressive that he played. Hayward finished with 30 points on 13-for-23 shooting, two rebounds, three assists, and two steals in a 102-90 victory.

Commenting on how Hayward got overlooked by Cousins, Editor of SLCDunk.com, Amar Smith, said this:

"This was Gordon’s game to show the NBA that he was / is better than the All-Star replacement they made for DeMarcus Cousins. DMC is getting stats on a bad team, a team worse than the Jazz. Hayward is putting up numbers and leading his team to victories. Meh. That’s how I see it though."

People need to realize that he’s one of the best players in the game, the fact that he plays for the Jazz is a minute detail. Hayward needs more love, and deserves to make the 2014 NBA All-Star game in New York. If the Pelicans center, Anthony Davis, can’t play we should be congratulating Hayward on making his first All-Star Game (which was something I predicted before the season)

Speaking of congratulations, we have to show some love and say congratulations on the baby too.

Next: Should The Utah Jazz Play Phoenix Suns' Style Basketball?

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