Anfernee Simons' pass was far too phoned. Consequently, Gordon Hayward easily intercepted the leather, thus validating the two-handed catch made on the Blazers player. The new Thunder player then sped in transition and stopped behind the arc to punish and give his team a three possession lead at the end of the third quarter.
All in all banal, this action at the heart of the trip from OKC to Blazers reflects the gradual recovery of pace for the 33-year-old player. Since his arrival a month ago in Oklahoma, the former Hornets player had not really shined, averaging just 2 points (25% on shots) after seven outings.
Against the Blazers the other night, the former All-Star performed much better with 10 points (3/3 shooting), 2 rebounds and 2 steals. “ He seemed a little more comfortable on the field. We are still learning how to use it optimally, who to put it on the field with. Tonight he seemed to be in a good rhythm “, judged his coach Mark Daigneaultwhich has kept him busy for about fifteen minutes since his arrival.
No worries in OKC
“ We tell him to shoot, to play his game. As I said earlier, when he arrived, it's complicated to integrate into a team after a period without playing and in a different team, in our situation . He does it very well “, added Jalen Williams, providing the context of his transfer.
Starting in Charlotte at the start of the season, where he was still averaging nearly 14 points, 5 rebounds and 5 assists, Gordon Hayward missed six weeks of competition, starting at the end of December, due to a calf injury. It's not easy to land in this ambitious Thunder in such conditions.
“ We try to give him confidence so that he can shoot and be aggressive. This is what we want to see from him. He's a very good defender, he can score too. He plays with more and more comfort, he begins to acclimatize to our attack “, continues Jalen Williams, when Josh Giddey considered that it was going “ take time to find his legs naturally “.
The Australian added that the Thunder already saw what the veteran was like “ able. He's been an All-Star before, so he's a talented player who will bring a lot to this team. Nobody worries, he had some complicated matches with shots that didn't go in. He knows how to play, we will trust him in important moments. Tonight was a step in the right direction. »
| Gordon Hayward | Percentage | Rebounds | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Team | MJ | Min | Shots | 3pts | L.F. | Off | Def | Early | Pd | Party | Int | Bp | Ct | Pts |
| 2010-11 | UTH | 72 | 17 | 48.5 | 47.3 | 71.1 | 0.6 | 1.4 | 1.9 | 1.1 | 1.5 | 0.4 | 1.0 | 0.3 | 5.4 |
| 2011-12 | UTH | 66 | 31 | 45.6 | 34.6 | 83.2 | 0.9 | 2.6 | 3.5 | 3.1 | 1.6 | 0.8 | 1.7 | 0.6 | 11.9 |
| 2012-13 | UTH | 72 | 29 | 43.5 | 41.5 | 82.7 | 0.7 | 2.4 | 3.1 | 3.0 | 1.7 | 0.8 | 1.7 | 0.5 | 14.1 |
| 2013-14 | UTH | 77 | 36 | 41.3 | 30.4 | 81.6 | 0.8 | 4.3 | 5.1 | 5.2 | 2.0 | 1.4 | 2.8 | 0.5 | 16.2 |
| 2014-15 | UTH | 76 | 34 | 44.5 | 36.4 | 81.2 | 0.7 | 4.2 | 4.9 | 4.1 | 1.7 | 1.4 | 2.7 | 0.4 | 19.3 |
| 2015-16 | UTH | 80 | 36 | 43.3 | 34.9 | 82.4 | 0.8 | 4.2 | 5.0 | 3.7 | 2.3 | 1.2 | 2.5 | 0.3 | 19.7 |
| 2016-17 | UTH | 73 | 35 | 47.1 | 39.8 | 84.4 | 0.7 | 4.7 | 5.4 | 3.5 | 1.6 | 1.0 | 1.9 | 0.3 | 21.9 |
| 2017-18 | BOS | 1 | 5 | 50.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 0.0 | 1.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 2.0 |
| 2018-19 | BOS | 72 | 26 | 46.6 | 33.3 | 83.4 | 0.7 | 3.8 | 4.5 | 3.4 | 1.4 | 0.9 | 1.5 | 0.3 | 11.5 |
| 2019-20 | BOS | 52 | 34 | 50.0 | 38.3 | 85.5 | 1.1 | 5.6 | 6.7 | 4.1 | 1.9 | 0.7 | 1.9 | 0.4 | 17.5 |
| 2020-21 | CHA | 44 | 34 | 47.3 | 41.5 | 84.3 | 0.8 | 5.0 | 5.9 | 4.1 | 1.7 | 1.2 | 2.1 | 0.3 | 19.6 |
| 2021-22 | CHA | 49 | 32 | 45.9 | 39.1 | 84.6 | 0.8 | 3.8 | 4.6 | 3.6 | 1.7 | 1.0 | 1.7 | 0.5 | 15.9 |
| 2022-23 | CHA | 50 | 32 | 47.5 | 32.5 | 81.1 | 0.7 | 3.6 | 4.3 | 4.1 | 1.4 | 0.8 | 2.0 | 0.2 | 14.7 |
| 2023-24 * | All Teams | 33 | 28 | 45.4 | 36.5 | 76.4 | 0.9 | 3.4 | 4.3 | 3.7 | 1.5 | 0.9 | 1.6 | 0.4 | 11.8 |
| 2023-24 * | CHA | 25 | 32 | 46.8 | 36.1 | 76.5 | 1.0 | 3.7 | 4.7 | 4.6 | 1.8 | 1.1 | 2.0 | 0.5 | 14.5 |
| 2023-24 * | OKAY | 8 | 15 | 32.3 | 50.0 | 75.0 | 0.8 | 2.4 | 3.1 | 0.9 | 0.5 | 0.3 | 0.4 | 0.0 | 3.4 |
| Total | 817 | 31 | 45.5 | 36.9 | 82.3 | 0.8 | 3.7 | 4.5 | 3.6 | 1.7 | 1.0 | 1.9 | 0.4 | 15.4 | |
How to read the stats? MJ = matches played; Min = Minutes; Shots = Successful shots / Attempted shots; 3pts = 3-points / 3-points attempted; LF = free throws made / free throws attempted; Off = offensive rebound; Def=defensive rebound; Tot = Total rebounds; Pd = assists; Fte: Personal fouls; Int = Intercepts; Bp = Lost balls; Ct: Against; Pts = Points.
