Gordon Hayward makes everything easier for Hornets. Yes, even making the playoffs
Gordon Hayward didn’t accept being the beaten-up old guy in Boston. He aspired to be the player at the top of the other team’s scouting report again.
He’s made that work spectacularly so far as a Charlotte Hornet. Over the last four games he has averaged 29 points, and the Hornets won them all.
Rookie LaMelo Ball is a cool story because he is fresh and entertaining. The small-ball lineup has worked as well as coach James Borrego could have hoped. But the overarching reason the Hornets are 6-5 is 30-year-old small forward Hayward. He provides what they desperately lacked.
By the end of last season, the Hornets were a solid defensive team that willingly shared the ball. The problem? There was no one special to share the ball with. Hayward is that guy; that skilled, that savvy, that tall and that confident.
By halftime Monday against the New York Knicks, Hayward had scored 28 points. He made eight of 12 shots from the field and was 10 of 10 from the foul line. He made sure there was never a doubt about a 109-88 victory.
“He’s making it easier for everybody,” said Hornets guard Devonte Graham, who scored a season-high 19 points.
Graham was arguably the Hornets’ best player last season. His was a fun ride, getting into the 3-point contest and the Most Improved Player discussion. But for now if Graham is your best player, you’re likely not a playoff team.
Hornets general manager Mitch Kupchak said as much in the offseason, stating frequently that talent — rather than any single position — was this team’s greatest need. Kupchak didn’t expect the summer of 2020 would be the Hornets’ big free-agent play, but when Hayward showed interest, they pounced.
Herky-jerky efficiency
Charting how the 6-7 Hayward scores must make the analytics folks cringe. In an era when the math says to take a majority of shots from 3-point range or at the rim, Hayward is Mr. Mid-range.
In that first-half masterpiece — the most points he’s ever scored in a half — Hayward took just two shots from outside the arc. But he created 10 free-throw opportunities and made them all. In the 19 minutes he played before halftime, the Hornets outscored the Knicks by 19.
Hayward is long-limbed, strong through the hips and shoulders in a way he can finish through contact, and cunning with the ball. He has this herky-jerky dribble that throws off defenders in traffic, allowing him to create high-percentage shots where they logically shouldn’t exist.
“He makes the right play; he’s got the size to do it, and he can make plays at all levels,” Borrego said. “He’s played 10-plus years in this league and he gets it; he knows the right play to make and it’s been a significant move for us.”
A transformational move, in that it takes pressure off younger players. Graham, Terry Rozier, P.J. Washington and Miles Bridges don’t have to over-reach when Hayward plays like this. He knits together the offense, and appreciates how new teammates have embraced him.
The Hornets have led the NBA in assists most of this season. That reflects willing passers, but it also means this team finally has enough finishers for those passes to matter.
“When the ball is moving — you’re getting open shots, you’re getting easy buckets — it’s just fun,” Hayward described. “Everyone’s involved. It’s hard to guard.”
Hornets making the playoffs is the measure
Whether Hayward is worth the $120 million contract will come down to the playoffs: How many appearances do the Hornets make over four seasons and do they ever win a round?
Hayward has appeared in 28 playoff games. He was on rosters in Utah and Boston that advanced. In the 16 years since the NBA returned to Charlotte, the Hornets have yet to win a playoff series and have only reached the postseason three times.
Ending a four-year streak without playoffs and making a dent in the draw when the Hornets get there would represent tangible progress. It’s why owner Michael Jordan signed off not only on Hayward’s contract, but stretching Nic Batum’s final season of salary to make it happen.
“I think it’s kind of a challenge and certainly one of the reason why I came here: To try and get us to that next level,” Hayward said.
At 6-5, they are tied for fifth in the Eastern Conference. This is still a season shaking itself out, and COVID-19 makes everything more complicated to handicap.
Before the season started, I thought the Hornets might get into the playoff tournament. Now, I think they’re pretty solid to be one of the top 10 teams in the East, and it’s not outlandish to imagine them finishing as high as sixth.
They have just enough: Defense, willing passers, a dash of Ball and a difference-maker in Hayward.
This story was originally published January 12, 2021 at 9:47 AM with the headline "Gordon Hayward makes everything easier for Hornets. Yes, even making the playoffs."
