Utah Jazz 2015-16 Review: Gordon Hayward

Although Gordon Hayward may not have lived up to the illustrious expectations surrounding him, his continued improvement and dedication to the Utah Jazz cannot be overstated.

Through absolutely no fault of his own, Gordon Hayward has become one of the most disputed and polarizing players on the current Jazz roster. While some fans constantly praise and revere him, others seem to constantly criticize and blame him for many of the Jazz woes.

In reality, those who are celebrating him are likely over-exaggerating while those who constantly fault him are largely overreacting.

There’s no questioning that Hayward is a solid player and one of the top small forwards in the league. After being selected ninth in the 2010 NBA Draft, he has increased his scoring average each year and has consistently stuffed the stat sheet averaging five rebounds and 4.3 assists per game over the past three seasons.

He has also made strides as a leader and become the go-to guy that the Jazz rely on.

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Yet therein lies the problem with Gordon Hayward, for being the guy the Jazz tend to rely on, he has been far from reliable. While basketball is undoubtedly a game of runs, streaky shooting and several ups and downs, Hayward’s seemingly indomitable inconsistency has been a recurring problem that was definitely evident this past season.

The Highs

But let’s start out with Gordon’s positives. Upping his scoring average once again, Hayward finished as the team’s leading scorer with 19.7 points per game. He maintained his solid rebounding numbers with five boards per game and shot a respectable 43.3 percent from the field and 82.4 percent from the free throw line.

Statistics aside and his faults notwithstanding, it’s hard to say anything negative about the heart and energy Hayward brings night in and night out. Since Utah retained Hayward by matching the max offer that the Charlotte Hornets extended, he has striven to prove himself worthy of the faith and trust that the Jazz organization put into him.

Given the daunting task Hayward faces of being the best player on a young squad with a fan base still expecting a team like the one that made 20-plus consecutive playoff appearances, he deserves to be commended for giving his all for the Jazz organization.

If you need any further insight on the kind of player Hayward is and the dedication he has to being on and improving this team, take a look at his end-of-season blog post where he talks in detail about his frustration in missing the postseason and his determination to better himself and his teammates next year.

Seeing this kind of response to such a gut-wrenching conclusion to the season speaks volumes about Hayward’s character and his importance to this team as a leader and a teammate. Hayward certainly can’t take the Jazz to the next level all by himself, yet he possesses many of the traits necessary to be a key part of a formidable team.

The Lows

While Gordon Hayward had another good season in 2015-16, given his previous year-over-year improvement, perhaps the most disappointing part of this past year for Hayward was that he didn’t have a great season.

After Derrick Favors and Rudy Gobert‘s impressive 2014-15 campaign and a solid rookie showing from Rodney Hood, it seemed like Hayward would have an opportunity to truly break out this season with less of opponents’ attention being placed on him. Nevertheless, as it turned out, he saw his field goal and three-point percentage decrease from the previous year despite logging more minutes.

While he was still able to increase his scoring average, after having improved it by at least two points each season, the jump from 19.3 to 19.7 came off as slightly disappointing. Perhaps expecting Hayward to jump from 19 to 21 points per game would have been a bit of a tall task, but it still seemed like he was capable of delivering more than he actually did in 2015-16.

Another concern that continued this past season was Hayward’s late-game play and reliability. After hitting the game-winning buzzer beater against the Cavs in the early part of the 2014-15 season, it seemed that the team’s young star was finally primed to turn the corner and become their consistent late-game scorer. However, this has never truly seemed to come to fruition.

Although Hayward averaged a team-high 5.1 points in fourth quarters this past season, at times it seemed that he would be almost non-existent in clutch situations. A recent example of this took place in the Jazz’s final match-up against the Warriors in which Hayward went just four of eight from the free throw line.

The Jazz were once again notorious this season for blowing close games down the stretch and it often seemed that either missed shots or lack of involvement from Hayward were a contributing factor to this.

So although Hayward put up solid numbers and played his heart out for this Jazz squad, the ongoing concerns that have surrounded him since he emerged as Utah’s number one guy continued to plague him. Despite the many positives that he brings to the table, Hayward’s inconsistency and inability to close just did not line up with the high expectations Jazz fans have for their ideal best player.

Final Thoughts

While it’s been awesome to see Hayward develop and grow into the leader he is today with this Jazz squad, in many ways it’s a shame that he has had to shoulder such an enormous load. The high and, in some cases, unrealistic expectations that have been placed on him have led to many undeserved criticisms.

Honestly, if Hayward was able to be more like the team’s “Jeff Hornacek” rather than the top option, he would probably be hailed as a fan favorite and a dangerous scoring role player. If Utah can add some more reliable talent around Hayward, whether it be via free agency or internal improvement, this very well could still become the case.

Although there were certainly still some disappointments and frustrations in Hayward’s 2015-16 season, he deserves credit for his continued determination, his relentless effort and, though not as overwhelming as many had hoped, his ongoing improvement.

Whether the Jazz are able to add more talent around him or not, Hayward’s play will be a contributing factor to the Jazz’s success or failure moving forward. While he may have fallen somewhat short of the illustrious expectations surrounding him, this shouldn’t overshadow all of the positives that Hayward has brought to this Jazz team.

Next: Utah Jazz Free Agency: Five Potential Shooting Guard Targets

All stats courtesy of NBA.com/stats