LaMelo Ball, Brandon Miller, Mark Williams, Rudy Gobert

With the Charlotte Hornets struggling out of the gate and multiple playoff-caliber teams who’ve called Charlotte to gauge Gordon Hayward’s trade availability, Hayward sat down with HoopsHype to discuss the All-NBA upside of LaMelo Ball and Brandon Miller, why Mark Williams reminds him of Rudy Gobert, his tenure with the Hornets, his future, and more.

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Gordon Hayward: Yeah, certainly in Charlotte. This is my fourth year. We’ve had a lot of talent the whole time I’ve been here. We just haven’t been able to put it together. We’ve also had injuries to key guys, which is hard to deal with, but certainly, we have a lot of guys that can score and a lot of guys that can do a lot of different things. We’re definitely talented.

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GH: The way he was hitting his threes really opened up his game because it makes teams have to respect it. Now he can drive and get in the lane where he can make plays and finish around the rim. His efficiency from three has opened up his whole game.

Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

GH: He’s really come along. He’s got a great feel for the game. In Utah, you could see the same thing with Rudy Gobert. Initially, he’s young and kind of like Bambi out there, but you can’t teach that defensive feel where they have good timing and know when to help or when to play cat and mouse. Offensively, he’s got great hands and catches just about everything. He’s still going to get better and has a ways to go, but I think he’s definitely taken a step, and he’s certainly got a bright future.

Vincent Carchietta-USA TODAY Sports

GH: I think the thing that impressed me the most about him was his poise in the pocket, especially with the ball in his hands, not only making plays for himself but being able to see over the defense. In practice, he makes passes across the court. That’s stuff that usually takes time to develop. A lot of guys can play with the ball and score. That’s how they get to the NBA, but that’s what has impressed me about him. He should be All-NBA if he wants to be because of his length, size, quickness, and instincts. He obviously has a bright future.

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GH: I think that all depends on if we defend. If we defend and get stops, then I think certainly the playoffs are the expectation. If we don’t defend, we’ll be just like the last couple of years. That’s on us.

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GH: It’s been up and down. There have been moments where it’s been really fun with big-time wins. There have been a lot of moments where I was injured my first two years at the beginning of the year. They were unfortunate injuries. Those suck. There’s nothing you can do about that. It’s sports, and it happens.

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GH: You know what, I haven’t really thought about it yet. I try not to think about it. I think when I’m done playing, I’ll be able to reflect more on that and the hours I put in. There’s a lot of stuff that goes on behind the scenes I did just to get back here after the injury I had. I try to keep moving forward and put the work in, so I can be out there on the court as much as I can.