This topic contains 7 replies, has 8 voices, and was last updated by AvatarAvatar bobforte 11 years, 1 month ago.

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  • #46873
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    franfran
    Participant

    How high is your ceiling?
    At this point in his career I see a version of Mike Dunleavy Jr. Although I think I could end up looking very much like T-Mac (less athletic)

    Place your bets, because this guy is in the running for the best sixth man in the league!

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  • #751117
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    RUDEBOY_
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    1 thing i like about Hayward (besides his sister) is that he plays very good against the top competition….If he played with that some vigor and consistency,he’ll be a star…..

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  • #751122
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    Meditated States
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    I expected him to be 18 to 22 a game. Has that kind of talent. Struggles with consistent play but has made some big improvements it appears. Very good defender and shooter but needs to believe he is as good as anyone. He needs to believe it and play like it. If he starts to play like it all the time watch out. I think the offense does not suit him. Might look better on another team. Utah is a big man punch it inside team. Gordon needs to play a little faster.

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  • #751128
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    sammybuckeye13
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    Hayward is better right now than Dunleavy ever was. I’m not saying comparing 6-8 white swingman Hayward to 6-9 white swingman Dunleavy is racist but they playing nothing alike. Dunleavy had one good year when he averaged 19; otherwise his career high is 14.0, and Hayward is averaging 14.1 ppg right now at age 22 coming off the bench. He also has the responsibility of guarding the opposing teams’ best wing every night. I don’t think Dunleavy ever played that role.

    Dunleavy is a good example of why I like Hayward so much. He’s a good shooter with terrific size for SG, or even SF, and can easily get his shot off, but he attacks the basket like few other wings in the league right now and shoots 83.2%. The other night against the Clippers he went 13-14 from the line off the bench. Since coming back from the 10 games he missed he’s been monstrous, averaging 22-4.3-3.3 in three games in February.

    In terms of upside, Hayward is one of the more underrated players in the league. He won’t put up T-Mac numbers but he has the potential to be really, really good. He’s impressed inl the primary areas that made him a top 10 pick (use of size, smooth jumper, good handle) and improved in other areas that are really encouraging for continued growth (aggressiveness taking the ball to the hole, defensive versatility). He’s in a great situation to be the Jazz’s go-to scorer next year, probably for the next 5-10 years. Might never be an elite scorer but he’s averaging 18.8 per 36 minutes this year so I wouldn’t bet against him averaging 20 a game at some point, and his already superb defense will only improve with experience. In the 2010 draft Hayward went 9 and Paul George went 10…a few years from now the debate as to who’s the better wing could be interesting.

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  • #751138
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    IndianaBasketball
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    @sammybuckeye13

    Good post and I agree with everything you said.

    I’ve believed the whole time that Gordon Hayward would be able to do what he’s doing. I was probably the only user on this site that believed in his game and also that he deserved to be picked that high. He was criticized significantly on this site. Some said he wouldn’t be able to defend in the NBA. He’s actually a very good defender.

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  • #751180
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    Bryant24
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    I always like Hayward I feel like him and Alec Burks can be dangerous in the future but Ty Corbin doesn’t give Burks that many minutes.

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  • #751197
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    bobforte
    Participant

    Thanks I was hoping I wasn’t going to have to start the thread on hayward even though i wanted so badly to. He is starting to get more confident and its showing. I think that confidence will help him with his consistency. Hayward is a good athlete and is unselfish which i think was part of the reason for his consistency issues as well. I have always been high on him though. I am excited he is coming off the bench because it gives him more scoring opportunities. I was really hoping they would have traded al or milsap and changed the style of play a little bit but i think if he can continues his play and keeps improving he is destined to be an all-star.

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