CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Tucked over at the same corner hoop he’s almost turned into a second home, Gordon Hayward is working up a second lather while the Novant Health Training Center slowly empties out.
Most of the noise reverberating around the Charlotte Hornets’ practice facility is emanating from one of the main courts on the other side of the gym, emanating from a contingent of young players led by a typically-boisterous LaMelo Ball. Hayward fires up jumpers, setting up from a variety of angles. He meticulously goes through each repetition with a purposeful look on his face.
It’s a familiar scene for Hayward these days, his way of sharpening skills that have him in the midst of his 14th season in the league. And he couldn’t be happier with it.
“That’s kind of how I was raised,” Hayward said Tuesday. “That’s how I grew up. Just being in the gym, I feel like that’s where I gain my confidence. Still 13 years in, I feel like I can still improve as a shooter.
“There’s certain things I can focus on and try to help myself. And that all means just getting in the gym. And that’s what I like to do. That’s where I get my confidence, as I said. So that’s why I stay out here.”
With the Hornets (2-1) fighting through injuries – something that will continue in Wednesday’s game in New York against the Knicks – Hayward has been one of the steadier forces in their surprising early-season start. It’s a necessity given they’ve been without top playmaker Ball since the tail end of training camp and essentially a requisite with their depth taking another hit when Terry Rozier sprained his ankle in the season’s second game.
Hayward has a lot on his plate thanks to the Hornets missing three of the main guys in their rotation. Those noteworthy absences further add to his already-packed laundry list of responsibilities as one of the team’s eldest members.
The 32-year-old is serving as their handyman of sorts for the Hornets. They run pick-and-rolls through him. Utilize his 6-foot-7 height as a playmaker. Have him quarterback the defense, communicating as much as possible to thwart breakdowns.
“He’s just such a good player,” coach Steve Clifford said. “He helps us in every phase of the game, whether the ball goes in or not. There’s not many guys like that. His decision-making, his composure on the floor. Usually guys can be such good decision makers with the ball, but those guys are also good decision makers on defense too. And that’s how he plays. He’s just so smart.”
Perhaps most importantly: he’s healthy. After failing to play in any of the season’s final months in his first two seasons in Charlotte – save for the one game he came back for in April before he shut it down for the final four games – his hope is to keep it going.
“For the most part, pretty good,” said Hayward, who’s averaging 19.3 points and 4.7 assists per game and shooting 55% from the field. “I took a shot to the ribs in the New Orleans game and that’s been bothering me. It bothered me in the last game too so those are the little bumps and bruises you get through the year that you’ve just got to work through. Other than that I feel great.”
A clean bill of health is evident when putting Hayward’s initial games of the season under an offensive microscope. His 3.3 shots per game inside 5 feet from the rim are exactly equivalent to the number of 3-pointers he’s hoisting. His midrange game hasn’t been too shabby, either.
Hayward’s next highest output per game has come inside 15 feet, a nod to the 2.7 shots he’s averaging. In fact, Hayward has connected on at least 75% of the attempts within 14 feet.
“I feel like I’m attacking the rim the way I want to,” Hayward said. “I want to continue to do that. I’ve got to find ways to get to the free-throw line. If I continue to attack the rim, I might get some calls, But that’s kind of where I get my game going and get some rhythm – at the line. So my shot’s not exactly where I want it to be. I’ve got to shoot more threes. But for the most part I feel like I’ve been solid. We’re 2-1 and I’m trying to help us get wins. That’s my most important goal.”
Being a virtual basketball encyclopedia for their core is jotted down somewhere among those chief objectives, too. With a team full of early- to mid-twenty somethings, the Hornets boast one of the league’s youngest rosters and Hayward’s experience trumps everyone else’s on the team. He knows that and believes he has to be accountable and impart as much knowledge as he can.
“I think that’s one of my responsibilities as a veteran player,” Hayward said. “Seeing just the guys go through some things and trying to help them out. Whether that’s defensively. Off the court. Certainly one thing for players in general is slowing down. So you just try to tell people. ‘You’ve got to slow down to read the game.’
“You look at the best scorers in the game and none of them move extremely fast. They move at their open pace. They move fast when they want to move fast. So yeah, I’m just trying to teach the young guys that.”
Hayward was once in their shoes, unable to visualize the game in the same fashion he does now. It’s why he thoroughly enjoys being a veteran presence as he attempts to assist in lifting the Hornets out of their half-decade plus playoff drought and beyond.
“That’s why I came here,” Hayward said. “It’s unfortunate the last two seasons have kind of been derailed by injuries for me personally. So certainly I have work to do as a player myself. Keep finding ways to help us win games, keep finding ways to be better out on the court for us. But it starts with each game. So we’ll try to improve as the season goes on and we’ll get to that goal that we want to get to.”
