When Gordon Hayward was first traded to Oklahoma City, it seemed like a very promising matchup for both teams. Hayward’s style of play fits that of the Thunder as he is an extremely high IQ player who can do a multitude of things.
It also offers flexibility thanks to its size, something OKC has always valued. Joining a team in the middle of the season, however, is not always easy, especially the best team in the conference. Oklahoma City has tons of chemistry as a team, and it’s hard to match that chemistry with a midseason trade. There’s also the fact that Hayward hadn’t played since mid-December and immediately jumped into action in OKC.
Of course there would be some rust to remove. In his first few games with the team, Hayward looked a little uncomfortable, and that was to be expected. He was always a star player who often had the ball in his hands.
Learning to play alongside Oklahoma City’s elite players, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Jalen Williams, would take time. Over the past two weeks, Hayward has looked much more comfortable in a reduced, efficient role. He looks much more confident when shooting the ball and has been a solid addition on both ends of the court.
It’s certainly a promising time with the playoffs on the horizon. Over the last seven games, Hayward is averaging 6.6 points, 2.9 assists and 2.0 rebounds on 64% from the floor and 63.6% from 3-point range. His catch-and-shoot trigger has looked much more natural in recent competitions.
Wednesday night, Hayward hit two triples in the second quarter and didn’t hesitate to lift. His style of play has been refreshing, as it is rarely isolation basketball and almost always cuts and extra passes.
If he can provide the efficiency he’s been playing with in 20 minutes per game off the bench for the Thunder in the playoffs, that’s a big win. He’s been a better passer than expected and is still finding his rhythm around the rim. But knocking down open 3-pointers and playing smart basketball will do wonders for this team late in the season.
Want to join the discussion? Like Inside the Thunder on Facebook And Follow us on twitter to stay up to date with all the latest Thunder news. You can also meet the team behind the cover.
