Gordon Hayward has had really good seats for recent Jazz games. He has sat out he last two with the dreaded DNP-CD and in none of the last 10 games has he played five minutes.
So, he’ll start tonight against the Magic.
Raja Bell is out with a thigh injury and Jazz coach Jerry Sloan said Hayward would get the start. The rookie out of Butler has struggled adjusting to the NBA, shooting 41 percent on the season, 25 percent from three and defense has been a challenge for him. But he apparently has the trust of Sloan, so he starts.
Orlando has had issues getting perimeter scoring — Vince Carter should just attack the rookie Hayward all night. Make him play defense. Force turnovers. We’ll see if Vince does it on a back-to-back at altitude — Utah is one of the toughest places in the league for that second night — but it is a mismatch the Magic need to try to exploit. Smart money says CJ Miles gets some extra run tonight for the Jazz behind Hayward.
