An interesting interview of Gordon Hayward by Kevin Pelton:
https://insider.espn.go.com/nba/sto...n-hayward-relishes-increased-role-versatility
https://insider.espn.go.com/nba/sto...n-hayward-relishes-increased-role-versatility
Hayward relishing increased role
He's Utah's offensive focal point and happens to be a fan of analytics
By Kevin Pelton | ESPN Insider Updated: October 14, 2014, 11:38 AM ET
As valuable as statistical analysis can be, it's important to remember that statistics aren't randomly generated by a computer. They're the product of humans playing on the court. To provide that context and understand the thinking behind the stats, ESPN Insider is sitting down with NBA players for "Data Dialogues" to discuss their games and their numbers.
Today, we hear from Utah Jazz wing Gordon Hayward about his increased role in the offense, and more.
1. Hayward is a reader of ESPN Insider contributor Ken Pomeroy.
Kevin Pelton: I've heard you're a Pomeroy fan. What do you get from his work?
Gordon Hayward: I think it's just intriguing to me because I was a math major in college. I've always been an analytical, logical person, so I think that those stats kind of intrigue me being that type of guy. I like the fact that he looks at those stats, looks at different things. He's thinking outside the box, not just what you see from the eye.
KP: Do you apply those stats to your own game?
GH: We have guys that help me out with that. They help with me different things, what I'm better at and what I need to work on.
2. He increased his usage rate from 15.3 percent of the Jazz's plays as a rookie to 22.3 percent last season.
KP: There's a statistical theory that as a player's role in the offense increases, his efficiency decreases because of increased defensive attention. Did you experience that last season?
GH: Obviously, the more possessions you get, to be successful every time -- it's a hard thing to do. So I think naturally you're going to be a little less efficient. Then, like you said, the defense is going to key on you more when you start to be that guy. Instead of being more of a side note in the scouting report, you start to be one of the focal points and they start to guard your team based on what you can do. That makes it more difficult.
KP: Does that experience make you a better player going forward?
GH: It definitely does. It makes you better as a player because you get to be able to read more things. You have that experience. Experience is such a big thing in the NBA. To have the experience of a defense keying on you or doing things differently for you out there, it helps me a lot. It gives me more opportunities to read what they're going to do and I've been through more. That's why Chris Paul, some of those guys are so good -- they've seen it all and they've experienced it all.
3. Per Synergy Sports, he averaged .90 points per play on pick-and-rolls (including passes) in 2013-14, up from .83 in 2012-13.
KP: What are you reading when you come off a pick-and-roll?
GH: Initially, you read how your screener's man is guarding you. That's how I make my initial read. Then from there, how is my man guarding me, how is the back side guarding things? That's how I usually go through the process of "Do I hit the pocket pass?" and "Is the weakside wing in so I can hit the skip pass?" "Is nobody on me so I can score?"
KP: How is that process affected by your teammates and the spacing on the court?
GH: If there's no spacing, it just makes things extremely difficult for the person coming off and using the ball screen because by creating clutter on one side, it's almost like your teammate is becoming a defender for you because of the spacing. Being in the right places is huge. That's something that we're working on this year -- to be instinctively in the right place to make the game easier. It just makes passes easier. Instead of reading three or four things, you're only reading two or three or maybe one thing. You can make passes quicker and it makes the decision-making process a lot easier.
4. He shot an effective field-goal percentage of .471 when playing with Trey Burke, compared to .430 without Burke, according to Basketball-Reference.com.
KP: Did you notice things coming easier for you when you played with Trey last season?
GH: Yeah, and that goes back to spacing a little bit. With him being spaced out on the court, it's a lot harder for defenses to be able to shift over. It makes the person guarding him think a little bit more. If you make one skip pass to him and he knocks down that 3 -- or even if he doesn't, if he just shoots that 3 -- it makes them respect him. It opens up the pocket pass. It maybe opens up the drive with no help. So having Trey out there being able to knock down jump shots and be an offensive threat is huge.
5. Hayward increased his rebound rate from 6.3 percent of all available rebounds to 8.0 percent, a career high.
KP: Was hitting the glass harder intentional because your frontcourt was smaller last season?
GH: It was definitely a conscious thing. I have a big enough frame (6-foot-8, 220 pounds) that I should be at least at five rebounds a game, if not more (he averaged 5.0 in 2013-14). A lot of times in my younger years, I was scoring a lot in transition and that was almost the only way I was scoring. I would tend to leak out so I could get an easy bucket. Especially last year, if I got the rebound, I could push it and we could just start the offense from there. It's more of a conscientious effort. It's an experience thing -- knowing I can go get this rebound or I can leak out and get an opportunity.
6. He played 59 percent of his minutes at shooting guard in 2013-14.
KP: It looks like you're going to start at small forward this year after primarily playing shooting guard last season. Does that matter on the court?
GH: I think with the way we want to run things, it doesn't make as much of a difference. We picture it as three guys who can handle the basketball and can come off pick-and-rolls. I think really the only difference for me in my experience so far in the NBA is who you guard being a 3 or a 2. A lot of times at the 3 position, you're guarding a little bit bigger guys -- Kevin Durant, LeBron James, Carmelo Anthony -- as opposed to sometimes more of a quicker 2 -- Monta Ellis, Dwyane Wade, guys who can almost be 1s.
KP: Is that a reason why you bulked up?
GH: I think a little bit. I go into the offseason always wanting to add strength, as long as I can continue to keep my speed up. I think I knew I was going to have to play a little more 3, so I wanted to bulk up.
