The Jazz used the last few seasons and especially last summer to fortify the team and add depth. Well, that will be tested right away.
That’s because Gordon Hayward suffered a finger injury on his left hand which could keep him benched as much as six weeks.
The team hasn’t disclosed the true nature of the injury; reports had Hayward breaking the finger and another claimed a dislocation. The extent of the injury will determine how much time he’ll miss, and if surgery is necessary.
Hayward was the team’s leading scorer last season at just under 20 points a game and widely considered a borderline All-Star. Much of the Jazz offense runs through him, although recent additions are designed to reduce the level of reliance on Hayward this season.
Over the summer Utah signed Joe Johnson, the veteran swingman who last played with the Heat, and traded for George Hill. The Jazz also have Rodney Hood to play the position and also will welcome back Dante Exum, who missed all of last season following a knee injury.
With two weeks remaining in the preseason, a worst case scenario has Hayward missing only the first month of the regular season.
Veteran NBA writer Shaun Powell has worked for newspapers and other publications for more than 25 years. You can e-mail him here or follow him onTwitter.
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