Charlotte Hornets set to welcome Gordon Hayward back to lineup vs. 76ers
Here comes some reinforcement.
As the Charlotte Hornets hit the final week of the regular season and prepare for the play-in tournament, they are set to welcome Gordon Hayward back. Hayward is officially listed as probable for Saturday’s matinee against Philadelphia at the Wells Fargo Center and will be available after missing the last 22 games with a sprained left ankle.
Hayward practiced with the team over the past two weeks, ramping up his activity over the last few days. He was on the floor again Friday during their session at Temple University and he’s ready to go just in time to help the Hornets (40-37) during the stretch run. They are in a three-way tie with Brooklyn and Atlanta for ninth place.
Three of the Hornets’ final five games are on the road and there’s at least one day in between each except for one, which should assist in easing Hayward in and gradually increasing his minutes. The veteran swingman hasn’t played since getting injured Feb. 7 against Toronto when his leg got rolled up on by Gary Trent Jr. while chasing a rebound.
That’s about to change.
“He’s gone through some live play, and he’s such a cerebral player he knows how to play,” coach James Borrego said. “He fits with any unit, any lineup. He’s going to boost our IQ, our play-making and our confidence on the floor.”
In Hayward’s absence, the Hornets managed a 12-10 mark and are rolling heading into their matchup with the 76ers, having won 10 of their last 14 games. After initially inserting Kelly Oubre into Hayward’s starting spot at small forward, Borrego swapped Oubre for PJ Washington and moved Miles Bridges to Hayward’s position. And it’s worked well for them. They have been one of the top offenses in the league since the All-Star break.
Now, his return means the Hornets have more lineup combinations to trot out, likely signaling a wing player’s minutes will be reduced or dramatically altered because Borrego is already utilizing a 10-player lineup. There is almost zero chance the Hornets go any deeper than that, especially with the rotation potentially being trimmed as the play-in tournament nears.
Jalen McDaniels, Cody Martin or Oubre may be spending a little more time on the bench depending on the direction the coaching staff leans in. Defensive matchups, foul trouble and who has the hot hand will each play a role in determining which combination they go with.
Either way, adding Hayward makes the Hornets deeper, and finding the right way to incorporate him as seamlessly as possible is a situation the Hornets surely would rather have instead of what they went through a season ago when Hayward missed the final 24 games and couldn’t do anything to halt their season-ending slide.
This story was originally published April 1, 2022 at 4:16 PM.
