Charlotte Hornets are without Gordon Hayward again, this time due to COVID protocols
Gordon Hayward’s latest trip to his home state has been spoiled again.
Hayward has entered the NBA’s health and safety protocols and missed Wednesday night’s 158-126 win over Indiana at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. It’s a tough blow for the Hornets, who were hoping to get Hayward back after he sat out the previous two games with discomfort in his right foot.
“It’s unfortunate,” coach James Borrego said.. “It’s disruptive, but this is the nature of the sport and the game and life. So we move forward. Obviously, we’ve had a hard time the last year and a half without him. Obviously the record speaks for itself. We’ve had a hard time. But I think it’s time someone steps up, and we’ve got to do it collectively and move forward. How long he’s out, I don’t know.”
At least putting up a franchise-record point total without Hayward softened the immediate blow.
“Definitely in his hometown, I thought he was going to play this game, have a good one,” LaMelo Ball said. “But we’re missing Gordon, so other people, it’s a chance to step up. I feel like people are going to take the opportunity. You are going to get out there and you are going to play hard. I feel like it all just worked tonight and was clicking.”
Hayward is averaging 17 points and 4.7 rebounds per game, but his influence goes beyond the numbers. He’s a leader and does things on the floor that often go unnoticed by the masses. The Hornets found that out themselves when Hayward sprained his right foot here last year on April 2, an injury that ultimately prematurely ended his first season with the franchise.
With Hayward, the Hornets are 50-39 and average about 113 points per game. When he’s not available, they’ve compiled a 9-22 mark and post nearly six points less per game.
“He’s such a steady presence for us,” Borrego said. “He’s a professional. He’s been doing this for a number of years. He’s a high I.Q. basketball player. He’s a grown up on the floor and he helps our young group and he keeps them settled and poised. He can play on the ball, off the ball. He gives us even more size out there.
“Obviously, even (Tuesday) night you could see how we were a smaller team, especially when PJ (Washington) went out. No Jalen (McDaniels), no Gordon. We got exposed even more. But he’s just a presence on both sides of the ball.”
Since Hayward is out for a couple of days at minimum, it could give rookie James Bouknight more meaningful minutes to show what he can do. Although Cody Martin got the starting nod for the third straight game in Hayward’s absence, there is now room for Bouknight to elbow himself into the mix.
Bouknight poured in 18 points off the bench in their loss in Toronto on Tuesday and received plenty of praise from Borrego. That didn’t change a bit on Wednesday. Borrego remains proud of the way Bouknight has handled his situation as he anxiously awaits his turn.
“Just maturing as a young player on and off the floor, that’s the biggest thing,” Borrego said. “Without talking about numbers and specifics in his game, just the professionalism is an area of growth for him. He’s been in the gym. You can imagine being a lottery pick and not playing. You’ve been playing your whole life and you think you are about to come into a league and set it on fire and chase rookie of the year. And you have all these aspirations and you don’t play. It’s shocking to the psyche, your confidence.
“And getting over that’s been the biggest hurdle for him. And I don’t blame him. It’s tough and had it been any other year than this year, he would have played and he would have played major minutes. Trust me, he’d be knocking on that door of rookie awards and all that good stuff. Just the problem is where our roster is. But he’s grown as a professional and continues to develop and build habits in practice even when he’s not playing.”
