BigKAT
10-05-2016, 07:21 AM
I'm going to do my own personal breakdown of a few Franchise players.
If these threads interest anyone, I might do more.
*At the end I'll give them my personal rating. From 1star (Empty stat padder) to 5 Star (Finals MVP Material)
*I'll do my best to stick to 'Lone Wolves' (Aka Paul George, Kemba Walker, Current James Harden, Gordon Hayward.) It doesn't mean their team is bad, only that they are considered the only 'all star caliber' in the eyes of many.
*This is mostly my opinions. I'll use some data and other articles but I'll mention them at the end.
*Feel free to disagree with me (lol, like you guys need permission for that)
Let's start.
Gordon Hayward
https://i.kinja-img.com/gawker-media/image/upload/s--wFpI9YTW--/c_fit,fl_progressive,q_80,w_636/qx104ho05lldc3gwtwaz.jpg
How did he get to the team:
Picked 9th by the Utah Jazz. His draft featured quite a few interesting talents. Most notebly John Wall at 1st, Demarcus Cousins at 5th, and Paul George at 10th. Two players sharing Hayward's spots were picked before him, Wesley Johnson at 3rd by the Timberwolves, and Al Faruq Aminu 8th by the Clippers.
What the Team looked like before he arrived:
The end of the Deron Williams era. A potent Jazz squad that finished 5th in a very top heavy West, where the difference between 5th and 1st (Lakers) were a mere 4 wins. They reached the Semi-Finals of the West, where they were swept by the eventual Champion lakers. Perhaps a sign that Deron Williams was not going to remain with the team.
Improvement Graph Over the Years:
Rookie Season:
Utah's 2010-2011 Season was a great disappointment. After a superb 8-0 start to the season they started fumbling around January, declining from a 27-13 start to 31-23, going 4-10. Jerry Sloan, the longest tentured coach in the league at the time, resigned and Star Point guard Deron Williams was traded to Brooklyn. Hayward himself seemed somewhat promising while coming off the bench in a team that still had Al Jeffreson and Paul Millsap as the incumbent Stars of a rather medicore Jazz Squad. Hayward averaged 5.4 Points off the bench on a stellar 48% shooting. And 47% from 3pt range.
Sophmore Season and onwards:
Utah retained neither Millsap or Jeffreson, it also hired Quin Snyder to guide the rebuilding process. Hayward blossomed when given the reins to the team, elevating his scoring to about 12 points per game on rather good efficency. Also his uptick in assists and rebounds promised good all around game. Several years later in his 4th and 5th season Gordon Hayward averaged about 19 points and 4-5 rebounds and assists. His efficency went down somewhat, but he mostly hovered around 42-43% from the Field and 34-37% from 3pt range.
Contract:
16,000,000 Per year. Not overpaid, but not quite a 'Catch' until this year's insane spike.
Strengths:
https://media.giphy.com/media/n7lT12Qb4Rtm0/giphy.gif
*Fearless. Let's be honest. He's not the most athletic guy on the team. But he drives to the basket with fierceness. He averages about 5 FTA per game which is an integral part of his scoring, as he shoots quite well from the line. He also provided some highlight reels by challanging capable defenders at the rim.
https://usatthebiglead.files.wordpress.com/2015/01/trevor-booker-shot-of-the-year-against-oklahoma-city.gif
*All around player. He can pass the rock, rebound the ball, operates well on fastbreak and is considered an intelligent player. Yes, that particular example was a fluke. But I couldn't resist adding it here.
https://media.giphy.com/media/eeo4mHIJSsEZW/giphy.gif
*We know that blocks don't always reflect defensive ability. But Gordon Hayward always shows effort. He also seems to see things in slow motion at times on the fast break, not fouling and still getting the clean swat.
https://cdn0.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/QvCHlCSlteycqkXgfDlnZ4cXaj8=/800x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn0.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/3356288/hayward.0.gif
*Smooth handle and Jump shot. He can create his own shot, and doesn't turn over the ball that often for a main option. If you need a Franchise guy, you need him to be able to create when all else fails. The Jazz ran an ISO, and he cashed on it.
https://media.giphy.com/media/8qpFfgl32pGBG/giphy.gif
*Clutch. Gordon Hayward seems comfortble with the Win-Lose shot. He almost made NCAA history when his heave in the Championship game from half-court clanked against the Rim. Fearless.
*
Weaknesses:
*I bet you're dying to say it yourself already. Can you win with Gordon Hayward as your best guy..? They have yet to enter the Playoffs since the reins were handed to him despite the West being remarkbly easy last year. When it comes to W/L, other Franchise players got their teams to the playoffs earlier. Both in the East and the West.
*He seems to lack that 'Superstar' scoring gear that Franchise players need to have. His career highs were in the 30's. His current career high a pedestrian 37 points. Not that impressive for someone who spent the last few years as the preimere scoring threat on his team. For reference, an often frowned upon player in D'angelo Russel had a career high of 39 in his rookie season despite having less credit from his coach.
*He has '2nd' option written all over him. He is considered a nice, dorky and pleasant person. He is very serious about winning, as seen in his Butler days where he led his team to the Championship game under Coach brad stevens, but one has to wonder - Does he have what it take to demand responsibility not only from himself, but his teammates?
*Advanced stats actually show a slight decline in his stats over the last two seasons, which some has to wonder if he really hit his peak as a player. Hayward will turn 27 years old soon, and many wonder if he exhausted his progress in terms of potential. Perhaps this is who he is, a 20/5/5 Guy. Which is superb if you need someone to act 2nd fiddle on your championship team. But unless this guy is a 2-time DOPY, it's likely not going to get you far.
Conclusion:
In my honest opinion? Hayward is a great player. Underrated by most. Clearly the best player on a exciting Jazz team. But every young team experiences the same cycle, young and promising- knocking on the door- contending - Winning / Blowing up / Declining. The Utah Jazz is knocking on the door for two years now. And one has to wonder if Gordon Hayward is the guy that can break in.
Rating as a Franchise Player-
2/5 Stars.
Excellent player. But sans some injuries to opposing teams, you won't be much more then 1st round fodder if this is the best you've got.
Credits:
Grantland - Can the Hot Jazz keep their climb?
Wikipedia - Utah Jazz Page
Basketball Reference - Stats
Previous Entries:
Kemba Walker - http://www.insidehoops.com/forum/showthread.php?t=418915
If these threads interest anyone, I might do more.
*At the end I'll give them my personal rating. From 1star (Empty stat padder) to 5 Star (Finals MVP Material)
*I'll do my best to stick to 'Lone Wolves' (Aka Paul George, Kemba Walker, Current James Harden, Gordon Hayward.) It doesn't mean their team is bad, only that they are considered the only 'all star caliber' in the eyes of many.
*This is mostly my opinions. I'll use some data and other articles but I'll mention them at the end.
*Feel free to disagree with me (lol, like you guys need permission for that)
Let's start.
Gordon Hayward
https://i.kinja-img.com/gawker-media/image/upload/s--wFpI9YTW--/c_fit,fl_progressive,q_80,w_636/qx104ho05lldc3gwtwaz.jpg
How did he get to the team:
Picked 9th by the Utah Jazz. His draft featured quite a few interesting talents. Most notebly John Wall at 1st, Demarcus Cousins at 5th, and Paul George at 10th. Two players sharing Hayward's spots were picked before him, Wesley Johnson at 3rd by the Timberwolves, and Al Faruq Aminu 8th by the Clippers.
What the Team looked like before he arrived:
The end of the Deron Williams era. A potent Jazz squad that finished 5th in a very top heavy West, where the difference between 5th and 1st (Lakers) were a mere 4 wins. They reached the Semi-Finals of the West, where they were swept by the eventual Champion lakers. Perhaps a sign that Deron Williams was not going to remain with the team.
Improvement Graph Over the Years:
Rookie Season:
Utah's 2010-2011 Season was a great disappointment. After a superb 8-0 start to the season they started fumbling around January, declining from a 27-13 start to 31-23, going 4-10. Jerry Sloan, the longest tentured coach in the league at the time, resigned and Star Point guard Deron Williams was traded to Brooklyn. Hayward himself seemed somewhat promising while coming off the bench in a team that still had Al Jeffreson and Paul Millsap as the incumbent Stars of a rather medicore Jazz Squad. Hayward averaged 5.4 Points off the bench on a stellar 48% shooting. And 47% from 3pt range.
Sophmore Season and onwards:
Utah retained neither Millsap or Jeffreson, it also hired Quin Snyder to guide the rebuilding process. Hayward blossomed when given the reins to the team, elevating his scoring to about 12 points per game on rather good efficency. Also his uptick in assists and rebounds promised good all around game. Several years later in his 4th and 5th season Gordon Hayward averaged about 19 points and 4-5 rebounds and assists. His efficency went down somewhat, but he mostly hovered around 42-43% from the Field and 34-37% from 3pt range.
Contract:
16,000,000 Per year. Not overpaid, but not quite a 'Catch' until this year's insane spike.
Strengths:
https://media.giphy.com/media/n7lT12Qb4Rtm0/giphy.gif
*Fearless. Let's be honest. He's not the most athletic guy on the team. But he drives to the basket with fierceness. He averages about 5 FTA per game which is an integral part of his scoring, as he shoots quite well from the line. He also provided some highlight reels by challanging capable defenders at the rim.
https://usatthebiglead.files.wordpress.com/2015/01/trevor-booker-shot-of-the-year-against-oklahoma-city.gif
*All around player. He can pass the rock, rebound the ball, operates well on fastbreak and is considered an intelligent player. Yes, that particular example was a fluke. But I couldn't resist adding it here.
https://media.giphy.com/media/eeo4mHIJSsEZW/giphy.gif
*We know that blocks don't always reflect defensive ability. But Gordon Hayward always shows effort. He also seems to see things in slow motion at times on the fast break, not fouling and still getting the clean swat.
https://cdn0.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/QvCHlCSlteycqkXgfDlnZ4cXaj8=/800x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn0.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/3356288/hayward.0.gif
*Smooth handle and Jump shot. He can create his own shot, and doesn't turn over the ball that often for a main option. If you need a Franchise guy, you need him to be able to create when all else fails. The Jazz ran an ISO, and he cashed on it.
https://media.giphy.com/media/8qpFfgl32pGBG/giphy.gif
*Clutch. Gordon Hayward seems comfortble with the Win-Lose shot. He almost made NCAA history when his heave in the Championship game from half-court clanked against the Rim. Fearless.
*
Weaknesses:
*I bet you're dying to say it yourself already. Can you win with Gordon Hayward as your best guy..? They have yet to enter the Playoffs since the reins were handed to him despite the West being remarkbly easy last year. When it comes to W/L, other Franchise players got their teams to the playoffs earlier. Both in the East and the West.
*He seems to lack that 'Superstar' scoring gear that Franchise players need to have. His career highs were in the 30's. His current career high a pedestrian 37 points. Not that impressive for someone who spent the last few years as the preimere scoring threat on his team. For reference, an often frowned upon player in D'angelo Russel had a career high of 39 in his rookie season despite having less credit from his coach.
*He has '2nd' option written all over him. He is considered a nice, dorky and pleasant person. He is very serious about winning, as seen in his Butler days where he led his team to the Championship game under Coach brad stevens, but one has to wonder - Does he have what it take to demand responsibility not only from himself, but his teammates?
*Advanced stats actually show a slight decline in his stats over the last two seasons, which some has to wonder if he really hit his peak as a player. Hayward will turn 27 years old soon, and many wonder if he exhausted his progress in terms of potential. Perhaps this is who he is, a 20/5/5 Guy. Which is superb if you need someone to act 2nd fiddle on your championship team. But unless this guy is a 2-time DOPY, it's likely not going to get you far.
Conclusion:
In my honest opinion? Hayward is a great player. Underrated by most. Clearly the best player on a exciting Jazz team. But every young team experiences the same cycle, young and promising- knocking on the door- contending - Winning / Blowing up / Declining. The Utah Jazz is knocking on the door for two years now. And one has to wonder if Gordon Hayward is the guy that can break in.
Rating as a Franchise Player-
2/5 Stars.
Excellent player. But sans some injuries to opposing teams, you won't be much more then 1st round fodder if this is the best you've got.
Credits:
Grantland - Can the Hot Jazz keep their climb?
Wikipedia - Utah Jazz Page
Basketball Reference - Stats
Previous Entries:
Kemba Walker - http://www.insidehoops.com/forum/showthread.php?t=418915