Utah Jazz: Gordon Hayward Will Decide The Fate Of The Jazz
The Utah Jazz are talented enough to make the playoffs, but have to decide if they want to go all-in this season or deal their best player for the future
The Utah Jazz have missed the playoffs four consecutive seasons, though, missing out in 2015-16 has to sting more than the others.
Utah lost the race for the 8th seed, or the playoffs participation award, to a Houston Rockets team that was playing for an interim head coach and playing with a shell of the artist formerly known as Dwight Howard.
When you take into account that the Jazz lost six games by three points or less, and were still within a game of the postseason, then last year hurts even more. One lucky bounce and Utah could have been trying to upset the 73-9 Warriors in the first round of the playoffs instead of trying to plan vacations or reserve tee times.
Partly because of that, expectations are relatively high for the 2016-17 Utah Jazz. Many view them as a playoff contender, though, their ability to compete with teams like Golden State, San Antonio or the Clippers in a seven-game series is yet to be seen.
More from Sir Charles In Charge
- LeBron James working to assemble super team for USA Basketball in 2024
- Dillon Brooks proved his value to Houston Rockets in the 2023 FIBA World Cup
- NBA Trade Rumors: 1 Player from each team most likely to be traded in-season
- Golden State Warriors: Buy or sell Chris Paul being a day 1 starter
- Does Christian Wood make the Los Angeles Lakers a legit contender?
The Jazz starting five is a formidable one. The acquisition of George Hill to, presumably, start at point guard gives the team a player with some playoff experience and grit.
Though Hill isn’t one of the league’s elite guards, he’s nothing to scoff at; especially considering Gregg Popovich liked Hill so much he almost didn’t make the draft day trade for Kawhi Leonard.
Their 2 and 3 combo is foggy position-wise, but will likely shake out to be Joe Johnson and Gordon Hayward. Johnson is coming off a season in which he was cut by an awful Brooklyn squad and appeared revitalized playing for the contending Miami Heat.
Gordon Hayward, one of the league’s hidden gems, is a topic of discussion himself. Hayward is coming off a season in which he averaged 19.7 points, 5 rebounds and 3.7 assists. His stats alone aren’t breathtaking, but this Butler University product is one of the top small forwards in the league.
He clearly isn’t LeBron James, Kawhi Leonard, or even Carmelo Anthony; but his talent speaks for itself. Though, the reason he will be a big topic this season is that the Jazz might be forced into trading him.
Hayward was a free agent once before; he signed with the Charlotte Hornets for max money and the Jazz matched his offer sheet.The reason this is relevant is that Hayward has a player option at the conclusion of the 2016-17 season and could easily opt-out and leave the Jazz high and dry.
This time, though, he won’t be a restricted free agent.
Players with his talent don’t grow on trees and he could easily be recruited elsewhere during free agency.
Hayward’s impending free agency puts Utah in an awkward position. In a league where LeBron James and Kevin Durant both left their respective teams without batting an eyelash, the Jazz must be weary. There would certainly be a trade market for him, with one destination sticking out.
The Boston Celtics acquired Al Horford, as a consolation prize, this offseason and have been trying to assemble a super team of their own as of late.
They had countless picks in the 2016 draft, but when no deal materialized they went and picked up a lot of young, unproven talent. Therefore, if Hayward became available it would be a trade they would have to consider, especially considering the relationship he has with Boston’s head coach.
Brad Stevens not only coached Hayward into a National Championship Game, but he coached the program into a legitimate basketball school.
Reuniting the two, coupled with Al Horford, Isaiah Thomas, and others could vault Boston into contention in the East. They could compete immediately with the likes of Miami, Atlanta, and Toronto.
Whether the squad would be good enough to defeat the defending champion Cavaliers would depend on how the team meshed, and how much they had to give up to acquire the Butler alum.
A Hayward trade would likely need to involve Avery Bradley, Jae Crowder, and either a draft pick or a recent Celtics draftee. Trading those assets would not be easy for Boston, but since Hayward is an upgrade on Crowder and Marcus Smart appears poised to be a better player than Bradley, it seems within the realm of possibility for Danny Ainge to pull the trigger.
Despite being arguably their best player, the prospects of a Hayward trade may not derail Utah’s season. Rodney Hood is not on the level of Hayward yet, but he could help fill the scoring load if he
were moved. Joe Johnson will likely come back down to Earth, after playing great in Miami; but he will nonetheless be a good piece for a team looking for their first playoff appearance in five years.
His leadership, scoring ability and clutch factor will be key to them making a push.
The Jazz frontcourt is a strength of the squad, featuring two good starters and depth. Derrick Favors has not been an all-star, but he has been a consistent performer since he was dealt to Utah.
Rudy Gobert is a budding star with raw athleticism and the ability to be an elite rim-protector. His offensive game is not up to par with his defense, but he is still capable. Coming off a season averaging 9.1 points, 11 rebounds, and 2.2 blocks, he can only improve in 2016.
The bench consists of wily veteran Boris Diaw, the young and talented Trey Lyles, the aforementioned Rodney Hood, former first round pick Dante Exum, Joe Ingles, Jeff Withey, and the improving Shelvin Mack.
Their bench may not match the production of their starters, but it consists of some players who can shoot the ball and possesses athleticism. They can fill in adequately and, coupled with their starters’ production, can help this squad fight for a low playoff seed.
Can the Utah Jazz make the playoffs? Certainly. Will it be an easy road? The Western Conference has been the harder of the two conference for a few seasons, so it will not be a cake walk, but this team can push for a spot.
If they get hot or if their young players make large jumps in production, they can definitely earn the playoff participation award, which has alluded them, and possibly even pull off an upset. Will they win the NBA Finals? No, and Kevin Durant going to the Warriors all but sealed the Western Conference as well.
must read: NBA: Eight Can't-Miss Games Of 2016-17
The major point of this season for the Utah Jazz will be the decision by Quin Snyder and upper management on whether or not to trade Gordon Hayward.
Either they will go all-in to try and go as far as possible and simply hope to re-sign him when he opts out, or they will trade him and set themselves back this season for a better chance in the long run.