Gordon Hayward describes stint with OKC Thunder as 'disappointing' and 'frustrating'
The first time Gordon Hayward spoke with Oklahoma City media, just days after the trade deadline saw him moved from Charlotte to the Thunder, there was a glimmer of hope. That Hayward, a grizzled veteran, might have a place with the emerging Thunder as a playoff player.
On Sunday — perhaps Hayward’s last time speaking with local media — his tone was somber.
“Obviously disappointing with how it all worked out,” Hayward said Sunday during the team's exit interviews. “This is not what I thought it would be. Certainly frustrating. But it is what it is.”
Hayward joined the Thunder having missed a notable stint with a calf injury. In 25 early season games with the Hornets, he averaged 14.5 points, 4.7 rebounds and 4.6 assists. Since his move to OKC, Hayward saw his minutes nearly chopped in half, averaging just 5.3 points in 17.2 minutes.
“I feel like as a player I have a lot to offer,” Hayward said. “I just wasn't given much of an opportunity to do that, and I thought I was going to get that opportunity.”
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A one-time All-Star and recently productive veteran, Hayward — the Thunder’s lone player acquired via trade at the deadline — held outside expectations as a possible playoff contributor. Those expectations dwindled as Hayward’s minutes did.
“I think the minutes were certainly down and sporadic, obviously to a point where it was nonexistent,” Hayward said. “Then just when I was out there is limited touches, I would say.”
Hayward began as one of the Thunder’s first reserves off the bench. As he noted a desire to slip into an already formed mold, Hayward sought the balance between playmaking and aggression, with which spots to pick and which shots to shoot.
Hayward noted that after a month, his health wasn’t an issue. Only his rhythm, which he claims was altered by a role that wasn’t as concrete as he’d imagined.
“I think with the minutes that I was given, and like I said, the role that I was in, I think there might have been some possessions where I probably could have been more aggressive,” Hayward said. “But it's not like when you get in the game, you're just given an open shot.
“I'm not the kind of player to just go one-on-one first time I get it and take a tough, contested shot. Just trying to do what's best for the team. With the opportunities I was given, it was tough to make an impact, have too much on your plate.”
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This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Gordon Hayward describes stint with OKC Thunder as 'disappointing'
