First off, a big SLC Dunk welcome to the newest member of the Utah Jazz, Gordon Hayward. Once you're part of the family, you're part of the family.
Second, the initial reaction of groans/swears from most Jazz fans weren't directed at Hayward. There were still a bunch of players left on the board that I think were better than he was. If they were going to go wing, Xavier Henry would have been my first pick. I was even talking myself into Luke Babbitt. I probably would have preferred Paul George.
All of the bigs that the Jazz coveted were gone by the time they got to #9. Apparently they had Hayward over Ed Davis and Cole Aldrich. Siler reported that O'Connor and company tried to trade up but couldn't find any takers.
Any hostility that was released by Jazz fans was the result of a huge letdown from the years of buildup that this pick has had. An unprotected first-rounder from the Knicks? That's gold.
The frustration started when New York actually started winning a bit this past season. Though the chance was slim, there was still the hope that the Jazz just might get lucky and get into the top 3 of the lotto.
That didn't happen of course but there was still a bit of a letdown there. It continued tonight when the big man the front office and fans wanted were picked just a couple of spots ahead of them.
The culmination to that frustration came when Hayward's name was called and the finality of not getting a big name player came to a head. Once again, it wasn't directed at Hayward but at O'Connor and the underwhelming pick. Hayward may turn out to be a good player, but I still think that Henry or Babbitt will end up better.
With that said, welcome Gordon Hayward to the Utah Jazz.