NBA Utah Jazz

Gordon Hayward Will Become Worthy of Max Contract

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By @mrmarykateolsen

Gordon Hayward

Russ Isabella-USA TODAY Sports

The preseason is a tricky thing; with coaches implementing and experimenting with new schemes and lineups, teams carrying rosters of 16-20 players, starters getting minute restrictions and an occasionally questionable level of in-game effort from players, what exactly can be discerned from everything taking place? With the Utah Jazz, one thing seems certain — Gordon Hayward has come to play and is looking more and more like one of the most complete players in the NBA.

In the team’s last contest with a Los Angeles Clippers squad that gave its stars heavy minutes and employed the kind of rotation we’d expect to see from Doc Rivers in the regular season, Hayward had his best game to date. He finished the night with 22 points on only seven field goal attempts (efficiency!), 12-for-12 from the free-throw line, six rebounds, four assists and six steals. It’s the kind of line that we should see with some regularity this season and a big reason why Jazz fans shouldn’t sweat Hayward’s $63 million contract.

With the spike in revenue coming to the league via its new television contract and a salary cap that could hit $90 million or more in the coming seasons, the $16 million per year deal that seems so prohibitive today is becoming a commonplace deal in the league’s new financial landscape. If Hayward continues this level of production, you could go so far as to say that Utah is actually getting a pretty great return on their investment.

Even last season, when Tyrone Corbin‘s offensive attack left much to be desired in many ways, Hayward was able to become the first Jazz man since “Pistol” Pete Maravich to average 16, five and five. Was he less efficient? Sure, but the team’s lack of offensive cohesion was often leaving Hayward to hoist difficult jumpers as the shot clock waned. Current coach Quin Snyder‘s offense aims to alleviate such scenarios and, perhaps more than any player, Hayward will benefit from this.

The early returns have been outstanding for G-Time. Through five preseason games, he’s shooting 52-percent from the field, a staggering 62-percent from three-point range (on nearly three attempts per contest) and 90 percent from the charity stripe. Will these percentages stick? Of course not. Will Hayward replicate his career-low shooting numbers of a year ago? Not a chance.

Hayward has proven that, even in the worst of times, his all-around game is at an elite level. If he can complement that by continuing to score in such an efficient manner, it’s going to be hard for the doubters to deny that he’s worth every penny of that lofty contract. Yes, it’s only the preseason, but if I were a betting man (and I am), I would say that a lot of people are about to eat crow.

Ryan Aston covers the Utah Jazz for RantSports. Follow him on Twitter @MrMaryKateOlsen or add him to your network on Google.

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