Gordon Hayward played against the Houston Rockets on Thursday night and made sure that they couldn’t reach lift off.
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The Rockets were a victim of a failure to launch as Hayward finished the night with 29 points, four rebounds, seven assists, one steal and one blocked shot. With that 20-point game it marked the 31st time Hayward reached 20 points or better in the 2014-15 season.
Even though Hayward’s having a career year, and should have made the 2014 NBA All-Star Game, he’s still has much improvements to make in his game.
The person who Hayward should study in the offseason if he wants to take his game to the next level is someone who’s still actively playing in the league and is making a difference for one of the dark horse contenders in the Eastern Conference, Paul Pierce.
When Pierce was in the prime of his career he was one of the most fearsome offensive scores in the game of basketball, and Hayward is reaching that plateau in his career.
At the age of 24, Hayward is only one of five players including LeBron James, Stephen Curry, Kevin Durant, and Blake Griffin, that’s averaging at least 19 points, four rebounds, four assists, and shooting at least 45 percent from the floor.
If that doesn’t scream elite, then what will? Next season Hayward could take his game to new heights following the lead of Pierce’s career.
Could Hayward Handle the Truth?
Even though Hayward’s had an impressive season in his fifth year he’s still a ways away from becoming that aggressive primary go-to scorer the Utah Jazz need him to become. For Pierce his aggressive scoring nature was the least of his problems.
In the 2002-03 season, as a member of the Boston Celtics when Pierce was in his fifth season in the league, he scored 20 points or more in 62 games.
Thankfully, because these two have similar games, it will be an easier transition for Hayward to study his game and get better.
This summer the weight room has done wonders for Hayward’s game. Due to the fact that Hayward added 15 pounds of muscle to his frame he’s become one of the elite players in the league. Hayward this season has made a living getting to the free throw line, and living in the paint. Hayward is nearly shooting six free throws a game averaging 5.9 per contest which is a career-high.
Pierce, who was known for his innate instincts of getting to the free throw line, would help Hayward become more aggressive getting to the charity stripe. In his fifth season alone Pierce was already a veteran at getting to the line as he averaged 6.9 free throws a game.
Additionally what makes Hayward a nuisance when getting to the rim is the fact that he can finish when he gets there. The Jazzman is making sweet music when he gets to the rim as he’s shooting 64 percent at the orange tin. Outside of his deadly three-point shot, Hayward attempts most of his field goals at the rim.
The Step Back
If Paul Pierce ever retired from basketball and ran a clinic for youngsters to become better basketball players on opening day the first move that they would get taught is the step back jump shot.
The one iconic move that people associate Pierce with is the step back. Pierce has used that move in his career for more than 16 years and it’s been good to him. The step back jumper is Pierce’s go to move, and late in games when it’s time to close a team out, it’s Pierce’s katana, his weapon of choice.
Most defenders couldn’t guard Pierce’s step back because they were afraid of his ability to get to the free throw line. Pierce used the step back to mercilessly to embarrass his opponents and it elevated him into having a hall of fame career.
Less than 15 years later, Hayward is starting to use the step back jumper in his game and he’s started to make it synonymous with his name. Hayward’s done well taking the mantle from Pierce as he’s started to make it his signature weapon of choice as well.
Because Hayward’s already a great shooter making the step back jump shot his weapon of choice didn’t come with much effort. However, with his new-found strength opponents can’t over play and crowd him on his shot because like Pierce he has the ability get to the rim at will.
Due to the fact that Hayward has a smooth mid-range game his opponents have to play him honest and that’s what makes his step back so lethal. Hayward’s shooting 41 percent from 10 to 16 feet away. As well as shooting shooting 47 percent from 16 feet out to the three-point line.
Learning the Leadership Role
Remember how you hated Paul Pierce and everything about him?
Pierce had that dog in him, that I don’t give a f@#& attitude, and that mentality that no matter what anyone opposing him would do it wouldn’t matter. Whether he was going against Kobe Bryant, Tracy McGrady, LeBron James or Carmelo Anthony, he didn’t care. If they were on the court he was going to cook them.
What made it even worse is that he would let your favorite player know about it as he was doing it.
Pierce did that for 16 years throughout his career and that mentality is what helped him become an NBA champion and Finals MVP winner back in 2008. Success for Pierce wasn’t always there in Boston, and he’s had his fair share of disappointments in the playoffs. The one thing that never wavered during his tenure there though was his attitude.
For Hayward he’s been in a losing situation playing for the Jazz for most of his career. Even though he’s been in the playoffs before, to take the next step in his game he’ll have to adopt that type of dog mentality that Pierce had in his career and cultivate it against his opponents.
Hayward’s been great this season, but it seems like a lot of his NBA peers don’t take him as serious as they should. He’s one of the best twenty players in the league, and a top five player at the small forward position, but people don’t seem to have that fear like they should.
That soon will change when people start to realize that he stands on the same level as they do. Any superstar in the league has had their fair share of trouble of guarding Hayward this season.
For the Jazz, they need someone on the perimeter who can lead the team.
Hayward’s made tremendous strides in his game this season as he’s been a rock offensively for the Jazz. Hayward’s got to get that attitude Pierce adopted. It’s something that will take time, but in the long run it will help him more than hurt him. Not only will his opponents bring their A-game’s against him, they’ll get embarrassed in the process.
The Clutch Factor
To make a Pierce highlight film of his most clutch moments in his career would be another story in itself.
Pierce is one of the most reviled people when he plays on the road because everyone in the building knows he’s going to break their hearts and there’s nothing they can do about it. The most important thing that Hayward can continue to learn from Pierce is his ability to make timely clutch shots.
Even as a veteran last season Pierce showed his worth when it mattered the most in the season. In the 2014 NBA playoffs Pierce once again added to another timely shot to his legacy when he hit a clutch dagger against the Toronto Raptors where he started yelling at midcourt “that’s why they got me here.”
Hayward in his youth is starting to become one of the most clutch players in the league, but most people wouldn’t know that yet.
Remember what happened to the Cleveland Cavaliers earlier in the season when Hayward used the step back jumper to defeat the Cavs?
Or most recently what happened to the Celtics only a few weeks ago when Hayward again used the step back jumper to give the Jazz a one point lead late in the game on the road?
Hayward’s hit clutch daggers for the Jazz over the course of the year, and he’s well on his way to making more important shots in the NBA playoffs.
The J-Notes
Hayward is on the cusp of becoming one of the players in the league that is must see television. A lot of people outside of Utah don’t truly understand how special of a player he is because they don’t get to watch him play in nationally televised games.
Hayward nonetheless has the Utah Jazz playing their best basketball in a long time, and under his leadership as the captain of the team they are in good hands.
Because in each season as a professional basketball player Hayward’s continued to improve it’s not a stretch to say that next season he’ll be in the running for the Most Improved Player of the Year award, as well as getting the well deserved recognition as a first time NBA All-Star.
As long as the Jazz can find a way to continue their recent success, the fan base, organization, and front office are going to have a lot of reason to make noise.
Studying from Pierce’s tapes, and learning from his game is only going to improve Hayward’s productivity on the basketball court next season with his aggression, his scoring mentality, his clutch shot making, and more important his will to not give up.
The Jazz were desperate to find a leader to step up from the ashes and this season Hayward’s shown that his four-year, $63 million contract was more than worth the money. His development as an All-Star player is crucial if the Jazz want to have a legitimate shot at making the playoffs next year.
They say that the truth hurts but in Hayward’s case only learning the truth will grant him access into the NBA’s elite.
Next: Could The Utah Jazz Have The Deepest Team In The NBA Soon?
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