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Honestly? The Utah Jazz are a deep team that could find themselves in a deep playoff run if they get some health and help along the way. Obviously, Dennis Lindsey and Quin Snyder have an off-court / on-court strategy that favors length, versatility, and defense. And as a result the poster boy for that revolution has to be All-Star snub Rudy Gobert. Gobert is the best defensive player on the team that is the best defensive team in the league (1st in Opponents PPG, 3rd in DRTG). And using algebra and non-big market bias, he should be the Defensive Player of the Year. He’s the anchor who everything revolves around on that end of the court, and he’s an improving force on offense. But he’s not “The Man” for the Jazz. In fact, it’s Gordon Hayward who is. And it’s G-Time’s time in the Sun right now. And he’s never shone brighter.
Hayward, in his seventh season in the NBA -- and fourth as the first option — is an NBA All-Star this year. And the qualitative way to distinguish Hayward and Gobert could be that “Gobert will help you win a game, but right now Hayward will not let this team lose a game.” It’s been a criticism of Gordon that I’ve had for a while, when in direction comparison to other first options / other ‘star players’. Being able to elevate ones game to the point where victories are willed (despite all the other obstacles) is a rare talent.
And Gordon Hayward is ascending to this level right before our eyes.
Quantitatively is he “for real,” this year.
Just look at this!
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Sure, he’s not blocking shots or stealing the ball as frequently anymore (per game) but that’s not to say he isn’t effective as a defender. But it’s really his offensive game that is finally taking it to that next level. For a point of very direct comparison, Al Jefferson was the previous “first option” for the Jazz and averaqed 18.6, 19.2, and 17.8 ppg over the three seasons he played “Conqueror Ball”. (We miss you, YuccaMan!)
Here’s G-Time against the other small forwards in the NBA right now.
Gordon Hayward improvement.csv
| Small Forward | MPG | PPG | RPG | APG | SPG | BLK | PRASB | /Min | ORTG | DRTG | PER | BOX+/- | USG% | TRB% | AST% | STL% | BLK% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Small Forward | MPG | PPG | RPG | APG | SPG | BLK | PRASB | /Min | ORTG | DRTG | PER | BOX+/- | USG% | TRB% | AST% | STL% | BLK% |
| Kawhi Leonard | 33.4 | 25.3 | 5.8 | 3.3 | 1.8 | 0.8 | 37.0 | 1.108 | 122 | 102 | 27.8 | 7.6 | 30.5% | 10.0% | 17.2% | 2.7% | 1.9% |
| Kevin Durant | 34.5 | 25.8 | 8.4 | 4.8 | 1.1 | 1.7 | 41.8 | 1.212 | 125 | 101 | 27.4 | 7.9 | 27.5% | 13.3% | 22.0% | 1.5% | 3.9% |
| Giannis Antetokounmpo | 35.2 | 23.2 | 8.7 | 5.5 | 1.7 | 2.0 | 41.1 | 1.168 | 117 | 104 | 26.7 | 8.4 | 28.3% | 14.1% | 26.8% | 2.5% | 5.0% |
| LeBron James | 37.5 | 25.8 | 8.0 | 8.6 | 1.4 | 0.5 | 44.3 | 1.181 | 117 | 106 | 26.1 | 8.1 | 29.7% | 11.6% | 41.0% | 1.9% | 1.1% |
| Jimmy Butler | 36.6 | 24.6 | 6.5 | 4.8 | 1.8 | 0.3 | 38.0 | 1.039 | 123 | 106 | 25.6 | 6.6 | 27.1% | 9.5% | 22.2% | 2.5% | 0.6% |
| Gordon Hayward | 34.8 | 22.0 | 5.7 | 3.5 | 1.0 | 0.3 | 32.5 | 0.934 | 119 | 105 | 22.7 | 4.7 | 27.4% | 9.5% | 18.1% | 1.5% | 0.7% |
| Paul George | 35.6 | 22.6 | 6.1 | 3.3 | 1.7 | 0.3 | 34.0 | 0.955 | 108 | 107 | 19.3 | 2.0 | 27.9% | 9.6% | 15.6% | 2.3% | 0.8% |
| Carmelo Anthony | 33.7 | 22.9 | 6.1 | 2.9 | 0.8 | 0.4 | 33.1 | 0.982 | 110 | 112 | 18.9 | -0.2 | 29.6% | 9.6% | 15.0% | 1.2% | 1.0% |
| Rudy Gay | 33.8 | 18.7 | 6.3 | 2.7 | 1.5 | 0.9 | 30.1 | 0.891 | 106 | 109 | 18.1 | 0.7 | 25.7% | 10.9% | 14.2% | 2.3% | 2.4% |
| Harrison Barnes | 35.8 | 20.2 | 5.4 | 1.5 | 0.9 | 0.2 | 28.2 | 0.788 | 107 | 111 | 17.8 | -1.4 | 26.4% | 8.8% | 8.1% | 1.3% | 0.6% |
| Otto Porter | 33.7 | 14.2 | 6.6 | 1.6 | 1.5 | 0.6 | 24.5 | 0.727 | 128 | 106 | 17.7 | 4.1 | 15.3% | 11.0% | 6.9% | 2.2% | 1.5% |
| Tobias Harris | 32.2 | 16.5 | 5.1 | 1.7 | 0.7 | 0.5 | 24.5 | 0.761 | 111 | 109 | 16.5 | 0.6 | 21.8% | 8.8% | 8.4% | 1.0% | 1.3% |
| Danilo Gallinari | 34.2 | 17.2 | 4.9 | 2.2 | 0.7 | 0.3 | 25.3 | 0.740 | 123 | 115 | 16.0 | 0.3 | 19.3% | 8.0% | 9.5% | 0.9% | 0.6% |
| Jae Crowder | 32.5 | 14.2 | 5.4 | 2.2 | 1.1 | 0.3 | 23.2 | 0.714 | 123 | 109 | 16.0 | 2.3 | 16.6% | 9.3% | 10.2% | 1.6% | 0.9% |
| Nicolas Batum | 34.5 | 14.8 | 7.2 | 6.0 | 1.0 | 0.4 | 29.4 | 0.852 | 105 | 107 | 15.6 | 1.8 | 21.4% | 11.3% | 27.5% | 1.5% | 0.9% |
| Andrew Wiggins | 37.2 | 22.1 | 4.1 | 2.5 | 0.8 | 0.4 | 29.9 | 0.804 | 105 | 114 | 15.3 | -3.0 | 27.7% | 6.4% | 11.4% | 1.1% | 0.9% |
| Wilson Chandler | 30.4 | 15.5 | 6.7 | 2.1 | 0.8 | 0.4 | 25.5 | 0.839 | 108 | 113 | 15.1 | -1.0 | 22.6% | 12.2% | 10.7% | 1.3% | 1.0% |
| Nick Young | 26.7 | 13.8 | 2.3 | 1.0 | 0.6 | 0.3 | 18.0 | 0.674 | 112 | 116 | 15.1 | 0.1 | 19.2% | 4.6% | 6.1% | 1.1% | 0.9% |
| Terrence Ross | 22.6 | 10.5 | 2.6 | 0.8 | 1.0 | 0.4 | 15.3 | 0.677 | 113 | 109 | 15.0 | 0.0 | 19.6% | 6.4% | 5.4% | 2.2% | 1.5% |
| C.J. Miles | 22.8 | 10.6 | 3.0 | 0.6 | 0.6 | 0.4 | 15.2 | 0.667 | 113 | 109 | 14.0 | -0.6 | 18.7% | 7.3% | 4.3% | 1.3% | 1.6% |
| Sam Dekker | 19.6 | 7.3 | 4.0 | 1.1 | 0.6 | 0.3 | 13.3 | 0.679 | 104 | 109 | 13.8 | -0.6 | 16.0% | 11.3% | 8.0% | 1.5% | 1.3% |
| Shabazz Muhammad | 19.6 | 9.0 | 3.0 | 0.4 | 0.3 | 0.1 | 12.8 | 0.653 | 114 | 115 | 13.6 | -4.3 | 19.5% | 8.7% | 3.2% | 0.7% | 0.4% |
| T.J. Warren | 29.3 | 13.1 | 3.9 | 1.0 | 1.2 | 0.3 | 19.5 | 0.666 | 108 | 114 | 13.5 | -2.0 | 20.0% | 7.4% | 5.5% | 1.9% | 0.9% |
| Bojan Bogdanovic | 26.7 | 14.1 | 3.4 | 1.6 | 0.4 | 0.1 | 19.6 | 0.734 | 106 | 115 | 13.2 | -3.0 | 22.3% | 6.7% | 10.1% | 0.8% | 0.2% |
| Michael Kidd-Gilchrist | 29.5 | 9.1 | 7.4 | 1.3 | 0.8 | 1.0 | 19.6 | 0.664 | 109 | 106 | 13.1 | -0.5 | 14.7% | 13.5% | 6.7% | 1.3% | 2.9% |
| Maurice Harkless | 29.2 | 10.7 | 4.6 | 1.0 | 1.1 | 0.9 | 18.3 | 0.627 | 108 | 111 | 12.8 | -0.2 | 16.2% | 8.7% | 5.3% | 1.9% | 2.4% |
| Trevor Ariza | 34.5 | 11.7 | 5.5 | 2.2 | 1.9 | 0.2 | 21.5 | 0.623 | 113 | 107 | 12.7 | 2.0 | 14.3% | 8.8% | 8.9% | 2.7% | 0.6% |
| Joe Ingles | 21.2 | 6.3 | 2.7 | 2.3 | 1.1 | 0.1 | 12.5 | 0.590 | 114 | 103 | 12.7 | 2.8 | 13.7% | 7.3% | 16.7% | 2.7% | 0.3% |
| Aaron Gordon | 27.7 | 11.3 | 4.6 | 1.9 | 0.7 | 0.4 | 18.9 | 0.682 | 103 | 111 | 12.6 | -1.4 | 19.7% | 9.1% | 10.8% | 1.3% | 1.2% |
| Thabo Sefolosha | 25.8 | 7.6 | 4.3 | 1.6 | 1.7 | 0.5 | 15.7 | 0.609 | 106 | 103 | 12.6 | 1.4 | 13.6% | 9.2% | 8.9% | 0.3% | 0.2% |
| DeMarre Carroll | 26.5 | 9.5 | 3.8 | 0.9 | 1.2 | 0.4 | 15.8 | 0.596 | 110 | 109 | 12.3 | 0.5 | 16.1% | 8.0% | 4.6% | 2.3% | 1.3% |
| Andre Iguodala | 25.8 | 6.0 | 3.9 | 3.4 | 0.9 | 0.3 | 14.5 | 0.562 | 124 | 106 | 12.2 | 2.2 | 9.9% | 8.4% | 16.2% | 1.7% | 1.1% |
| Vince Carter | 24.2 | 8.2 | 3.2 | 1.8 | 0.8 | 0.5 | 14.5 | 0.599 | 114 | 107 | 12.2 | 1.2 | 15.3% | 7.5% | 11.9% | 1.8% | 1.8% |
| Joe Johnson | 22.4 | 8.4 | 3.0 | 1.6 | 0.3 | 0.2 | 13.5 | 0.603 | 107 | 107 | 12.2 | -0.7 | 18.1% | 7.8% | 12.1% | 0.8% | 0.7% |
| Rondae Hollis-Jefferson | 21.6 | 7.9 | 4.9 | 2.0 | 1.0 | 0.5 | 16.3 | 0.755 | 98 | 109 | 11.9 | -2.4 | 18.4% | 12.0% | 14.0% | 2.1% | 1.7% |
| Doug McDermott | 24.7 | 10.1 | 3.2 | 1.1 | 0.3 | 0.1 | 14.8 | 0.599 | 112 | 111 | 11.6 | -2.7 | 17.2% | 6.8% | 7.0% | 0.5% | 0.3% |
| Robert Covington | 30.9 | 11.3 | 6.1 | 1.6 | 1.8 | 0.9 | 21.7 | 0.702 | 96 | 105 | 11.5 | 0.8 | 18.4% | 10.9% | 8.2% | 2.8% | 2.4% |
| Omri Casspi | 18.0 | 5.9 | 4.1 | 1.2 | 0.5 | 0.0 | 11.7 | 0.650 | 103 | 112 | 11.5 | -3.7 | 16.3% | 13.2% | 10.3% | 1.3% | 0.2% |
| Kent Bazemore | 27.4 | 11.0 | 3.1 | 2.6 | 1.3 | 0.6 | 18.6 | 0.679 | 97 | 106 | 11.3 | -1.1 | 20.5% | 6.3% | 14.7% | 2.3% | 1.9% |
| James Ennis | 25.7 | 7.8 | 4.4 | 1.1 | 0.8 | 0.3 | 14.4 | 0.560 | 115 | 107 | 11.3 | 0.6 | 13.5% | 9.7% | 6.5% | 1.6% | 1.2% |
| Luol Deng | 27.3 | 8.1 | 5.6 | 1.4 | 0.9 | 0.4 | 16.4 | 0.601 | 102 | 112 | 10.8 | -1.9 | 14.5% | 11.1% | 7.6% | 1.6% | 1.1% |
| Jeff Green | 23.3 | 9.5 | 3.0 | 1.2 | 0.5 | 0.2 | 14.4 | 0.618 | 98 | 112 | 10.3 | -4.3 | 20.2% | 7.2% | 7.9% | 1.1% | 0.7% |
| Glenn Robinson III | 22.2 | 6.1 | 3.8 | 0.7 | 0.5 | 0.3 | 11.4 | 0.514 | 106 | 110 | 10.0 | -2.1 | 12.8% | 9.5% | 4.5% | 1.2% | 1.3% |
| Chandler Parsons | 18.8 | 6.7 | 2.1 | 1.5 | 0.6 | 0.1 | 11.0 | 0.585 | 99 | 108 | 9.8 | -3.5 | 18.8% | 6.4% | 12.7% | 1.7% | 0.4% |
| Al-Farouq Aminu | 28.7 | 7.5 | 7.1 | 2.1 | 1.0 | 0.7 | 18.4 | 0.641 | 93 | 109 | 9.7 | -1.7 | 14.9% | 13.7% | 10.4% | 1.8% | 1.9% |
| Jerami Grant | 21.0 | 6.0 | 2.6 | 0.5 | 0.4 | 1.1 | 10.6 | 0.505 | 109 | 108 | 9.6 | -2.7 | 12.1% | 6.9% | 3.4% | 1.0% | 4.0% |
| Kelly Oubre Jr. | 20.5 | 6.5 | 3.4 | 0.7 | 0.7 | 0.2 | 11.5 | 0.561 | 107 | 108 | 9.5 | -1.8 | 14.4% | 9.3% | 4.4% | 1.8% | 0.8% |
| Mike Dunleavy Jr. | 16.7 | 5.4 | 2.3 | 1.0 | 0.3 | 0.1 | 9.1 | 0.545 | 109 | 110 | 9.4 | -2.2 | 14.2% | 7.5% | 8.4% | 0.9% | 0.5% |
| Matt Barnes | 24.7 | 7.1 | 5.1 | 2.6 | 0.6 | 0.3 | 15.7 | 0.636 | 97 | 111 | 9.2 | -1.9 | 16.4% | 12.1% | 16.0% | 1.3% | 1.1% |
| Andre Roberson | 30.5 | 6.6 | 4.9 | 1.0 | 1.2 | 1.0 | 14.7 | 0.482 | 104 | 106 | 8.9 | -0.6 | 10.3% | 9.0% | 4.6% | 1.9% | 2.5% |
| Dante Cunningham | 24.6 | 5.9 | 4.1 | 0.6 | 0.5 | 0.5 | 11.6 | 0.472 | 105 | 109 | 8.7 | -1.6 | 10.9% | 8.7% | 3.7% | 1.0% | 1.7% |
| Justise Winslow | 34.7 | 10.9 | 5.2 | 3.7 | 1.5 | 0.3 | 21.6 | 0.622 | 87 | 107 | 8.2 | -2.8 | 20.0% | 8.2% | 15.9% | 2.2% | 0.8% |
| Solomon Hill | 27.9 | 6.3 | 3.8 | 1.7 | 0.9 | 0.4 | 13.1 | 0.470 | 101 | 109 | 7.9 | -0.8 | 11.0% | 7.0% | 8.5% | 1.5% | 1.3% |
| Troy Williams | 17.4 | 5.3 | 1.8 | 0.8 | 1.0 | 0.4 | 9.3 | 0.534 | 86 | 105 | 7.8 | -2.9 | 17.4% | 6.0% | 7.3% | 3.0% | 2.1% |
| Richard Jefferson | 19.9 | 5.3 | 2.4 | 0.9 | 0.3 | 0.1 | 9.0 | 0.452 | 105 | 112 | 7.0 | -2.8 | 12.3% | 6.4% | 6.4% | 0.7% | 0.4% |
He’s good. Those numbers aren’t monkey-ed around with for pace, etc. G-Time is real. And he’s never been better.