Charlotte Hornets 2021 Player Preview: Gordon Hayward tips the balance

The Charlotte Hornets decided to add Gordon Hayward to their roster during the 2020 offseason to help a very young team find a steady presence on the court. When healthy, this was the case for Hayward. Before his season-ending foot injury, he led the Hornets to a very promising 4th seed in the Eastern Conference and his ability to have an immediate impact was on display especially on the offensive end of the floor.

Gordon Hayward will be the player that determines the Charlotte Hornets season with his uncertain injury status.

His numbers were really impressive as he ended the season with 20 points, 6 rebounds, and 4 assists giving his contribution night in and night out. These numbers were very close to the ones he displayed back in his Utah years, just before the terrible leg injury he suffered with the Boston Celtics.

The whole offensive flow was better when he was on the floor thanks to his ability to beat his man in one on one situations and to create various opportunities for himself and his teammates. When available, he is the best player the Hornets can deploy.

Hayward was also a mismatch machine as he’s able to use his strength against smaller players to get an easy basket. Borrego used him as the problem-solving key, whenever the offense was stuck the team just needed a favorable switch for Hayward to create something dangerous.

The Hornets player that benefited the most from his presence was LaMelo Ball as he provided a steady option out on the perimeter when Ball could not create something good for his team.

The main problem with his management will be the minutes’ distribution. During last season Borrego used him for 34 minutes per game and this was not ideal. Every minute in which Hayward is on the floor increases his chances to get another injury, this is why the coaching staff will need to be very cautious with him.

During last Media Day, James Borrego was asked about this situation and declared that the plan with Hayward is to have a certain minutes management but that is still far from being defined. Kelly Oubre is the key here, last season Borrego did not have any valid option besides Hayward because of a very limited depth at his position. With the arrival of Oubre, the situation is different and the coaching staff will have a solution for Hayward’s resting problems.

If he can stay healthy throughout the whole season, expect him to tip the balance positively. The Hornets will start the year as one of the youngest teams in the league, with a lot of rookies coming in and still inexperienced players like Ball, Bridges, and Washington being the core of a team, having a player with this type of experience and presence is really helpful.

Hayward is a key for the balance of the Hornets during last season, when he wasn’t healthy, Charlotte struggled. The team was 9-19 when he was not available and his teammates felt he was missing.

For these reasons, his presence will be very important for the team both from a basketball perspective and also from the professional side. The Hornets are missing some veteran presence on paper and not having him near the team will hurt this aspect even more. Borrego and the staff will have a hard time organizing the minute management with Hayward to have him with his teammates as much as possible.

At 31 years old, this could be the peak of his career from a physical perspective with the second side of his latest contract kicking in at the end of this season. It would be very important for Charlotte to capitalize on this investment and try to push for a playoff spot using his talent and his experience.