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I REALLY want to like this guy, but he just isn't having any positive impact on games when he's on the floor. What does he do well?, because right now I can't think of anything that makes him an NBA player. Did we just waste a top ten pick on a towel waving bench warmer with a missionary haircut?

I know everyone says we need to have patience, but he should be showing us a little something at this point. To me he looks like Morris Almond version 2. Thats not a good thing.

When he is rookie contract is up.

Take Miles for example...he looked terrible for a long time but look at him. JJ-Red is also a good example, he didn't do anything despite all his college hype until he got to Orlando and now he is a solid player.

It's waaaaaaaaaaaay too early to label him a bust.

Exactly, I remember people calling Dirk a bust after 1 year. I'm not apologizing, he isn't going to be on the all-rookie anything team but it's not an issue right now.

KOC asked for 2 years to judge the pick. Seems reasonable to me.

I thought he played Carter well for a rookie. He just got schooled on some serious vet moves, but if it were a vintage Vince, he would have destroyed the pup. Good game, glad he got the start, he is keeping his head above water so far. He has some nice moves, just needs to refine them and learn to milk the refs.

Hayward is not playing "bad", he simply doesn't understand the system, and he's not comfortable. Do you ever see him make a good cut and when he finally gets a touch he looks like he didn't expect the ball. He needs a while under the system to learn it, but he's a winner, and he's gonna be good.

he is still very young...people got to remember this isn't a 4 year kid we're talking about. he'll need some time...

Damn, we fans could use some payience.

He cuts well, he's always moving, and his defense is pretty solid.

He just gets nervous whenever he gets the ball and passes it back. Rookie jitters. We're what, 1/4 of the way through his rookie season? Give the kid some time.

This is actually a good question. The answer is the moment he was drafted. I knew, and so did most draft gurus, that Hayward had bust written all over him. 29% from three point line in college and slow lateral time in the combine. If you wait 2 years to call him a bust then people always say "hind sight being 20-20", or its "easy to say he is a bust now." It is much harder to have a belief that everyone seems to disagree with or even hate and stick with it.

I do understand everyone wanting to give the kid a shot and even though I predicted he would be a massive bust and a huge mistake I still want the kid to play well, because my team needs him to be better than he is. The jazz needed a much better player at nine. Unlike some I do believe there were much better players selected between 10 and 15. I liked Paul and Sanders a lot. Take two years if you would like, but it was obvious on draft night and its still obvious. I don't need two years to decide.

Too early.

I don't see why you have to reference his "missionary" haircut.

I still think he will be good player bc of his skills he possess. It takes certain players time to reach their potential. Biilups looked like a bust for 3 years until he turned the corner. Hayward can handle the ball like a guard at the SF and he will be a good shooter and passer. His rebounding ability and defense will good as well. He will be a good alround player in 2-3 years BUT...

I really dislike that when he does play, like last night, he doesnt hustle consistently or do what he can do to help the team. I would like him to do Ronnie Price type hustle whne he gets time. It evens seems Evans out works him on the floor. I know Price takes hustling to the next level but I would expect a rookie trying to earn time would hit the floor once in awhile like Price, Evans, and Elson. He seems too content with just being on the team and getting a check, but he is extrmely young and time will tell.

hoops4life wrote:Too early.

I don't see why you have to reference his "missionary" haircut.

First off, I served an LDS mission, and I have nothing against missionaries. Part of me wonders if the Jazz drafted this kid because of his clean-cut white guy image. I really hope not, but he hasn't demonstrated any basketball skills commensurate with a top 10 pick.

kwill wrote:This is actually a good question. The answer is the moment he was drafted. I knew, and so did most draft gurus, that Hayward had bust written all over him.

Could you please link to any of these "draft gurus" claiming Hayward would be a bust? Nearly every single word I read about this kid was that he would be a solid role player, at the very least.

kwill wrote: 29% from three point line in college and slow lateral time in the combine.

Not to be rude, but you should research the kid more. Gordon Hayward shot 37.1% from the three point line in College. 29.4% his last year, and an incredibly solid 44.8% his first year. As far as the lateral quickness, the only effect lateral quickness has on a players game is defensively, and if there is anything that people have been pleased with by Hayward, it is his defense.

kwill wrote: If you wait 2 years to call him a bust then people always say "hind sight being 20-20", or its "easy to say he is a bust now." It is much harder to have a belief that everyone seems to disagree with or even hate and stick with it.

I agree with you here, but it is also very difficult for many people to admit that they were wrong. I find the choice of the word "belief" interesting, as by the words definition, belief is having faith in something that you cannot prove. So, everyone is welcome to believe that Gordon Hayward is a bust. It's not until people "know" he is a but, that any of us need to worry. ie: Beasley was believed to be a bust, now he is tearing it up in 'sota. Compare that to Kwame Brown... who is a known bust.

Hayward will pan out, there is no reason to believe he won't. Hard working, smart, kid. The thing to remember is that he is just that, a kid.

Quantum

I have posted the draft gurus at least three times and I'm not going to keep doing it as I have to go back and research it every time. Just do a little search in past threads and you should find it. As for doing my research, because I didn't say 29% for his entire last year in college is just ridiculous. His last year is all that matters when pulling statistics and it should be his best year. No one averages multiple years to take percentages, they just use the last year. Many have speculated that he shot so poorly because other teams focused upon him. I don't know the reason, I just know that he didn't shoot well his entire last year in college from the 3 point line. To me this was a very good indicator that he would struggle mightily from NBA range.

JDubJazz wrote:

hoops4life wrote:Too early.

I don't see why you have to reference his "missionary" haircut.

First off, I served an LDS mission, and I have nothing against missionaries. Part of me wonders if the Jazz drafted this kid because of his clean-cut white guy image. I really hope not, but he hasn't demonstrated any basketball skills commensurate with a top 10 pick.

I feel as if his defense, rebounding, ball handling and passing are all exceptional for a rook.

MacheteConfetti wrote:He cuts well, he's always moving, and his defense is pretty solid.

He just gets nervous whenever he gets the ball and passes it back. Rookie jitters. We're what, 1/4 of the way through his rookie season? Give the kid some time.

Yeah, I see that in him too. He plays like he's a fat kid in a candy store. The kid will come around.

I'd like to see more of Evans too. Our starters are good but they're playing too many minutes.

kwill wrote:His last year is all that matters when pulling statistics and it should be his best year. No one averages multiple years to take percentages, they just use the last year.

If you are gonna stand by the above statements, than you yourself cannot label Hayward as a "bust" until after his first year in the league, since Hayward was clearly not a bust when he took Butler to the big dance, and that was his most recent year.

If anyone is worried about Hayward's ability to score because of his low 3-point percentage his last year in college, take this into account. Hayward shot a paltry 29% from 3, and was still able to score over 500 points over the course of the season. Hayward led his Butler team in scoring with 572 points... without three pointers. This seems to be more evidential that Hayward CAN make it in the league, because he doesn't rely on 3's to score, ala J.R. Smith.

Hayward's last (bust evident) year in college he led his team in rebounds(second best had 100 less than Hayward). Hayward was the teams best defender with 30 blocks and 40 steals on the year. Led his team in scoring, and real free throw percentage.

So judging Hayward off his last years stats, he was the best player on the second best team in college. Doesn't necessarily scream bust to me.

P.S. I wasn't doubting your claim that gurus project Hayward as a bust. I am just interested in seeing who these gurus are and what they had to say.

on the same thought Morris Almond shot lights out from every where but he ended up no where in the NBA. If your going to say shooting percentage is an indication of a players abilities in the NBA than I have nothing to say. I find it hard to say a 9th pick should tear it up in his first 25 games maybe in a bad team that is rebuilding and he is allowed to jack up shots but not in a Jerry Sloan team. You know youll be pulled after taking two bad shots or miss defensive assignments. Miles took a good 3+ years before he got anywhere. D will took the bench for year and had to play behind some awful point guards after stock left. Im not say he isn't a bust im just saying its still early. The Heats are suppose to tear it up and are filled with elite players but even they needed 24 games to find some chemistry.

I have notices a few things he can improve on. he has a tendency to hang around the perimeter and coast rather than run. I think he is a little lost trying to incorporate into the system and think where he should go.

He just need to learn how to come off screen tighter and take the right shots.

This is ridiculous.