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The Utah Jazz came within one game of making the playoffs this season. I’m sure there will be some changes made with the team before next season begins, but one thing that can be improved is internal. It would be a good time to see Gordon Hayward step up next year to prove why he was a first round draft pick. Hayward did average over 14 points a game while coming off the bench mostly this past year for the Jazz, but I see him being a starter next season.
That means Hayward needs to become someone who scores 18 or 19 points per game. Hayward had his struggles down the stretch for Utah when the team needed to win every game to make the playoffs. He only scored a combined 22 points over the team’s last three games. I don’t like seeing those kinds of numbers especially during a pressure situation. You want your first round picks to be players who can be difference makers, and while Hayward is working his way towards that, he has room to grow.
Hayward has increased his scoring in each of his first three seasons, and while his field-goal percentage has dropped each season, he is taking more shots now. I’m not sure who the Jazz will have on their roster when the 2013-14 season gets underway, especially with Al Jefferson being an unrestricted free agent. It should be time for Hayward to become a consistent force in the NBA and one that Utah can depend on late in games. I don’t see any reason why Hayward can’t turn into that player by next year.
Andy Schmidt is a columnist/writer for RantSports. Follow him on Twitter @ASchmidtSports, like his Facebook page or add him to your network on Google.
