Charlotte Hornets: Ranking all 5 starters for the 2021-22 season

Charlotte Hornets starters ranked: 1. SF Gordon Hayward

The rub with Gordon Hayward is and always will be his extensive injury history, which reared its ugly head during his first season with the Hornets. When healthy, however, the small forward is the top starter on the roster.

Last season, Hayward averaged 19.6 points per game, his most since his last season in Utah. He chipped in 5.9 rebounds and 4.1 assists per game. Hayward was also lethal from beyond the arc, hitting 41.5 percent of his three-point attempts.

Like his younger teammate, Hayward also showed a renewed ability to swipe the ball. The small forward averaged 1.2 steals per game, his best mark since 2015-16.

Once again, injuries were a problem for the one-time All-Star, a problem he has struggled to outrun since going down in the first game of the 2017-18 season. A right foot sprain sidelined Hayward late in the season and he played in just 44 games, his fourth straight season missing at least 10 games.

Hayward should enter the coming season with a clean bill of health – whether he remains that way is impossible to predict. Fans in Buzz City hope he can stay on the court and Hayward can continue to be the best starter on the team, possibly even returning to All-Star status.