Charlotte Hornets: Grading Gordon Hayward’s 2020-21 Season

You win some, you lose some. That’s what happened to be the case for Gordon Hayward throughout the 2020-21 season with the Charlotte Hornets.

Ever since the 31-year old small forward arrived in Charlotte, he’s been a huge leader on the court, not to mention, one of the biggest veteran leaders for a young Hornets team off the court. Hayward has brought a ton of value to the Hornets team, which is something every Charlotte basketball fan can agree on.

Hayward started his first year as a member of the Hornets out on a super strong note, showing off his ability on the offensive side of things time after time. The most notable game of Hayward’s season came against the Orlando Magic when he went off for an insane 39 point performance, including the game-winning shot.

The 39-point night really didn’t shock me as much, as Hayward has always been known for his offensive instincts. Throughout the season, Hayward averaged 19.6 points and 5.9 rebounds per game, which were we’re both over his career averages of 15.6 points and 4.5 rebounds per game.

However, things took a turn for the worst on April 2, when Hayward sprained his foot against the Indiana Pacers. The injury forced him to miss the rest of the regular season and the NBA Play-In Tournament game against the Pacers which the Hornets fell in.

Before Hayward’s injury occurred, the Hornets were right on the brink of avoiding the play-in tournament altogether, or at the very least, entering the tournament with two chances of sneaking into the playoff field. However, in Hayward’s absence, the Hornets ended the regular season with an 8-16 record, causing them to drop to the 10th and final spot in the Eastern Conference.

Charlotte was a completely different team without their veteran leader, and was simply no match to Indiana, dropping their play-in game in a 144-117 blowout.

Injuries are a part of the game of basketball, and nobody understands that more than Hayward himself. A long list of serious injuries has haunted Hayward throughout his NBA journey, but he has always responded with a huge positive impact.

I see that being the case in 2021-22 when the Hornets kick off the season.

GORDON HAYWARD 2020-21 SEASON GRADE: B+