There’s No Doubt: Gordon Hayward Is Leader Of The Jazz

Dec 3, 2014; Salt Lake City, UT, USA; Utah Jazz forward

(20) shoots during the second half against the Toronto Raptors at EnergySolutions Arena. Toronto won 123-104. Mandatory Credit: Russ Isabella-USA TODAY Sports

Take a minute to think, which player on your team would you want to take the last shot in a close game? If you’re a Golden State Warriors fan, it’s Steph Curry. If you’re a Houston Rockets fan, it’s James Harden. And if you’re a Utah Jazz fan, it’s our boy, Gordon Hayward. The fact is, the high majority of the time, the person you trust in the most crucial periods of a game is your leader. It’s taken a few years, and plenty of bumps, bruises, highs and lows, but the Jazz finally have theirs.

The NBA has always been a star driven league. And more than ever, we’re seeing how elite talent separates teams in the NBA. Look at the Boston Celtics, Los Angeles Lakers, San Antonio Spurs and Miami Heat, all of those teams have won titles in the last decade, and each had future Hall-of-Famers suiting up for them.

Maybe it’s the new haircut, or maybe it’s the 5 o’clock shadow he’s been sporting lately, but Hayward has grown up. He’s become an alpha; far removed from the pale-faced rookie Deron Williams  was throwing balls at.

The season is still young, but if there’s one player on this Utah Jazz team who’s made the jump to an All-Star level, it’s Gordon. He’s also the one player the Jazz have who’s capable of taking over a game. We’ve seen it a couple times already, against the Detroit Pistons and the New York Knicks. Gordon’s become the go-to guy, and if the Jazz are going to go anywhere in the future, a hefty amount of that responsibility is going to rest on his shoulders.

It’s a damn good thing he hit the weight room and bulked up this offseason.

Statistically, Gordon is having his best season in the NBA. He’s posting career bests in points (18.8), rebounds (5.6), and steals (1.6). He’s also, based on John Hollinger’s rankings, one of the most efficient small forwards in the league, with a PER of 19.52. That’s better than stars such as Kawhi Leonard, Paul Pierce and Luol Deng .

If he keeps this up and the Jazz can start winning some more games, there’s no reason to think Hayward shouldn’t be donning an All-Star uniform come February.

The facts back it up; it’s not far-fetched to think that Gordon Hayward has reached top-five status at his position in the league. My personal ranks are:

1) Lebron James
2) Kevin Durant
3) Kawhi Leonard
4) Carmelo Anthony
5) Gordon Hayward
Honorable Mention: Rudy Gay

That’s some mighty fine company to keep.

Being a leader is something Gordon should be used to. He was THE MAN at Butler, leading his team to within a missed three-point shot of a national title. Anyone who has spent any amount of time watching the Jazz this season can see Gordon is the heart and soul of the team. The offense runs through him, the coaches trust him, his teammates look to him and the fans love him.

My only gripe about Gordon being the leader of the Jazz is that I wish he were more vocal. We’ve seen more of it this year than in the past—barking at officials, pulling other players over to the side for a quick chat, his involvement with coach Quin Snyder, etc.—but I’d like to see more. I know some people lead by example, but with a team as young and impressionable as the Jazz, a vocal leader could do a whole lot of good.

This doesn’t mean that Gordon needs to be a demonstrative, browbeating maniac like Kobe Bryant (warning NSFW language) or Michael Jordan. No, it means having the cajones to publicly hold his teammates accountable. We already know Gordon is unselfish and willing to go the extra mile to help his team succeed. Being the guy that’s willing to make sure everyone is doing their part is the next step.

Other than that, he’s got my golden stamp of approval. The kid can flat-out ball, and at 24, his prime is yet to come.

Plenty of people were upset when the Jazz spent a lottery pick on Gordon. Even more people this summer, when the team inked him to a max contract, shared that same criticism. But all Gordon has done in his five-year career is get better and prove doubters wrong. Star power dominates the NBA landscape, and the Utah Jazz can proudly say they’ve found their own.