Not much, except that if his shot hadn't been AWOL the first half he'd have scored even more.
Wow, Gordan Hayward!
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Not much, except that if his shot hadn't been AWOL the first half he'd have scored even more.
Or they could have drafted Jarrett Jack or Gerald Green instead of Deron Williams. The Jazz NEED Jarrett Jack!
Even more reason for Gordon hysteria: his two best games as a pro were both played at Staples.
Should I start listing every player I can find that started off slow in their rookie year and then went on to have a very good NBA career? Well, let me just list one: Kobe Bryant.
Edit: BTW, here are Kobe's stats from his first couple years in the league: https://sports.espn.go.com/nba/players/stats?playerId=110
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7StraightIsGreat
Well-Known Member
I think it's kinda sad that some Jazz fans are in here trying to discredit what Hayward did last night. I guess when you don't like the draft pick and bitch about it from the word go, you basically paint yourself in a corner that's pretty hard to get out of, so in turn you must continue trying to cast the player in a bad light even when he starts making progress and showing promise. It has to be exhausting being that negative. Granted, this 1 game means little to nothing in the grand scheme of things, but it at least showed a step in the right direction for Hayward, and most importantly I think we are starting to see the game "slow down" for him. Not only that, but I think you could see some hints of that going back to the Minnesota game before Christmas and even a little in the Portland game the other night.
I think Hayward has the talent/smarts/work ethic neccessary to build on this performance. While some will play it down and actually be idiotic enough to try and compare it to rookie performances from the likes of Kirk Snyder, I will stay on the flip side of the argument. The kid just seems to "get it" in regards to what it's going to take to be successful over the long haul.
And if you are somebody who thinks Hayward may just end up being worthy of the 9th pick, don't get too comfy with last night. Tonight he's playing in Portland a night after logging 42 minutes. Obviously a repeat performance is not likely. Too bad no amount of logic like that is going to stop haters from hatin'.
I think Hayward has the talent/smarts/work ethic neccessary to build on this performance. While some will play it down and actually be idiotic enough to try and compare it to rookie performances from the likes of Kirk Snyder, I will stay on the flip side of the argument. The kid just seems to "get it" in regards to what it's going to take to be successful over the long haul.
And if you are somebody who thinks Hayward may just end up being worthy of the 9th pick, don't get too comfy with last night. Tonight he's playing in Portland a night after logging 42 minutes. Obviously a repeat performance is not likely. Too bad no amount of logic like that is going to stop haters from hatin'.
Joe Bagadonuts
Well-Known Member
JAZZFAN_2814
Active Member
Hayward has the skillsets -- is close enough to the prototype -- as a shooter and secondary creator that the Jazz have been missing since Hornacek retired.
Hornacek's intangibles were off the charts, but I continue to think that management made a very good pick relative to system and a look toward contention.
Hornacek's intangibles were off the charts, but I continue to think that management made a very good pick relative to system and a look toward contention.
I think you misunderstand. I'm merely saying that it's imprudent to forget everything else we have seen because he had two good quarters. One of the reasons we shouldn't forget about the other stuff is because many players have spurts where they look good even if they themselves are not actually good players.
Alas, the old board is gone. If it was still up I'd link here to a whole slew of posts predicting great things for Kirk Snyder based upon a handful of impressive performances. As to the one to one game comparison I think it's pretty clear. 17 and 6 in 44 minutes vs. 15 and 6 in 28 minutes isn't exactly being unfair to Gordon.
NotDeadYet
Well-Known Member
Not a problem; 17 > 15.... He actually outscored their 20-year old rookie, Aminu. Hayward is showing a lot of poise under duress. Aminu is impressive, but Hayward, even when physically overmatched, keeps his cool, uses his head, and keeps hustling. I'm definitely starting to buy into our taking him in the draft...
Gyp Rosetti
Banned
The better Hardwood plays, the more leverage we'll have in July with AK. That could prove huge unless AK's just all about the Benjamins.
7StraightIsGreat
Well-Known Member
I think most of the people who are excited about Hayward's performance last night are the ones being realistic. I haven't seen anybody proclaim that he has officially arrived as an NBA star, etc. I think everybody who has hope for the kid realizes that this is a process and they are simply pointing to his performance as a positive and hopefully a stepping-stone to better things. Yes, we know it's only one game. Yes, we know he has to do much more before he even comes close to living up to his draft position. All of these things are very well known, yet when the kid has a nice night and some of the fans want to celebrate it, some in here feel like it's their self-appointed duty to try and spew what their version of reality is. If you can't wrap your mind around that, then you need to be the one pulling your head out of your ***.
And Kicky, the Kirk Snyder comparison is all well and fine if you take out one little factor: When Snyder was a rookie in Utah, fans weren't privy to the information that Snyder was a stark raving mad lunatic. Had fans known that, maybe their excitement would have been tempered somewhat. Snyder's is a very sad story because in reality, he had the tools to be a very successful player for the Utah Jazz. Had it not been for his mental illness, I think many of the fans expectations would have been met.
I don't have any personal interest vested in Hayward other than he plays for my favorite team so I obviously want him to succeed. With that being said, he just seems to have the make-up of a player who tends to have success in this Jazz system. He's a hard-working, intelligent basketball player who's willing to learn and seems to put team before self. I realize people question whether he's athletic enough for the NBA and there were also the questions of his physique when drafted and while those aren't his greatest attributes, I think he's been better than advertised in both areas.
I guess I'd classify him as a safe bet to be successful because I've never seen a player with all of that going for them crash and burn for the Jazz. I guess time will tell, but as I said in my last post, I'm sure the vultures will pick at him every chance they get.