As NBA handymen go, Gordon Hayward is Mr. Fix-it for the Charlotte Hornets
Gordon Hayward is that neighbor you call when the garage door doesn’t close right or the ink cartridge jams in the printer.
He knows a little about fixing most anything.
The Charlotte Hornets will pay Hayward a fortune for him being so handy on a basketball court. You can argue over whether he’ll be worth $120 million, but there’s no way the Hornets would have beaten the Brooklyn Nets Sunday on without him.
Hayward scored or assisted on 19 of Charlotte’s 43 baskets in a 106-104 victory. It was stunning that the 0-2 Hornets beat a Nets team that won its previous two games by combined 54 points.
A lot had to happen: Out-rebounding the Nets, Bismack Biyombo’s defense on Kevin Durant’s jump shot late, and Terry Rozier’s two free throws with five seconds left.
But the element that knitted everything else together was Hayward making play after play in the half-court offense to hold off Brooklyn.
“He gives us calm and poise out there,” coach James Borrego said. “He settles us when we need a good, solid possession. An efficient possession, he’s able to create that.”
The Hornets had young talent last season, and were surprisingly good at the end of some close games. However, there was no conduit to blend the abilities of Devonte’ Graham, P.J. Washington, Terry Rozier and Miles Bridges. Hayward has the skill set to do that, and just as importantly, to bail the Hornets out of bad half-court possessions.
Once teams started chasing Graham off the 3-point line, the Hornets had a big problem last season late in shot clocks. Hayward, a 6-foot-7 small forward in his 11th NBA season, addresses that. Whether it’s pulling up for a 12-foot jumper, or squirming through traffic for a layup or finding a teammates for a corner 3-pointer, he makes reads that lead to points.
Gordon Hayward’s old-school game
Hayward had 28 points, seven assists and six rebounds Sunday. Only two of his 12 baskets were from 3-point range, which isn’t uncommon for him. His offensive “sweet spot” is the mid-range, which is so old-school it’s archaic in an NBA focused on 3s and shots at the rim.
The Hornets obviously knew that when they pursued Hayward in free agency. Borrego is a believer in the math of shot value — that most of a team’s shots should either be 3s or dunks/layups — but you make exceptions for great talent.
Hayward shot nearly 50% from the mid-range last season, playing for the Boston Celtics. While Borrego is coaxing him to look for more 3-point attempts, there’s an understanding Hayward has a skill the Hornets need with the shot clock running down.
“I have to not just settle for mid-range shots, because that’s what a lot of (defenses) want you to do. But at the same time, that’s one of the things I do best — my bread-and-butter. If it’s there, I’ve got to be aggressive and take it,” Hayward said.
“Those are my shots. If defense gives them up, I’ve got to take it.”
Scoring is so much more difficult in the fourth quarter of a close game. Teams have adjusted defensively to each other’s best plays and sets. Having someone like Hayward, who efficiently fabricates a shot, is huge. He scored nine fourth-quarter points Sunday, making 4 of 6 shots. The other nine Hornets who played in the final quarter scored 15 points on combined 5-of-15 shooting.
Smart choices
Hayward makes baskets and assists, but most importantly, he makes smart choices. That will only get better as he plays longer with new teammates. He didn’t have the usual three months between free agency and training camp to play pickup games with his new team. He’s now learning their preferences on the fly.
It’s just three games, but his efficiency is apparent: Hayward has averaged 22.7 points and shot 55% from the field. He’s had seven assists in each of the first three games.
“He’s a great offensive player — whether at the rim, the mid-range or the 3,” Graham said. “It just so opens things up.”
The Hornets paid a price to make that happen: A $120 million, 4-year contract, plus stretching the remaining $27 million of Nic Batum’s deal over three years.
But Hayward was willing to come to Charlotte when a lot of other free agents wouldn’t have. And Sunday, he was precisely what the Hornets have needed.
That handy neighbor when things break down in the fourth quarter.
This story was originally published December 28, 2020 at 7:00 AM with the headline "As NBA handymen go, Gordon Hayward is Mr. Fix-it for the Charlotte Hornets."
