Today, the Hornets played away to the Magic, and the game was extremely fierce. 8.7 seconds before the final game, the two sides fought to 104 draws, the final attack, the Hornets midline serve, the ball was handed to Gordon Hayward, Hayward arc top with the ball to break through, after passing Evan Fournier, the layup hit the quasi-kill, helping the Hornets finally win 107-104, to win the 7th win of the season, ranking continue to move closer to the top eight in the East.
In the whole game, Hayward played a total of 38 minutes, 15 of 25 shooting, contributing 39 points and 9 rebounds; so far this season, he has averaged 24.1 points, 5.3 rebounds, 3.5 assists, 1.3 steals in 15 regular season games, shooting 51.2%, 42.5% from three-point range, and 86.8% from the free throw line.
Yes, Hayward's performance was beyond everyone's expectations, and his stats were even better than his 2016-17 All-Star season at the Jazz. You know, when Hayward chose to jump out of the contract to leave the Celtics last offseason, and the Hornets signed him on a four-year, $128 million contract, many people questioned it. After all, during his time with the Greenshirts, the former strongest white man in the active duty, he was plagued by frequent injuries, playing only 125 games in three years, averaging 13.9 points, 5.4 rebounds and 3.6 assists per game. Although his competitive form has rebounded last season, people still don't have much confidence in his physical condition and future performances.
But Hornet boss Michael Jordan, who has grown tired of failing over the years, was even more deeply felt after watching the Last Dance documentary. As a result, MJ seems to have made another mistake and started to send premium contracts, but in fact, he knows that next summer, the team will not become the foothold of free agents after completely getting rid of the big contracts of Nicholas Batum and Cody Zeller. So why not sign him a year in advance, with a chance to get Hayward? Hayward is a well-known former All-Star, and although the Celtics have not yet returned to peak form last season, they have at least seen the rebound momentum, may be on the rise, and are moving closer to the expectations of the Greenshirts when they signed him in 2017. Perhaps, after coming to Charlotte, he and Lamello Bauer, P.J. Washington, Derwent Graham, Miles Bridges and other young people can rub some sparks and become back to the Jazz Gordon Hayward, so that it will not be profitable.
Of course, Jordan's risk is also very high, after all, in the past three years, Hayward has suffered nine injuries, including 3 fractures, and his physical condition has always been worrying. Once he can't stay healthy or play the expected performance, then he will become a non-tradable player, and the contract given by the Hornets will become a pair of shackles, one side tied to his feet, so that the already mired team is deeper and deeper, and the other side is tied to Hayward, so that the last golden years of his career are always tied to Charlotte, and he can only sit and wait for the contract to expire at the age of 34.
Fortunately, as far as the current situation is concerned, Boss Joe has won the bet, and after Hayward came to Charlotte, he is playing the best performance of his career, proving himself with practical actions, breaking all doubts, and sweeping away the haze of injury. He is now the Hornets' number one star, the frontman, and will be named to the All-Star and even the All-Team again. At the age of 30, he set off again, and finally ushered in another sea and sky in Charlotte. (Sycamore)