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Trend Watch: Rising and falling small forwards

Utah forward Gordon Hayward has seen his usage rate in January climb past 30 percent. Melissa Majchrzak/Getty Images

As usual, let's look at three players who look a little different than what we thought they'd be and ask: Is this sustainable? Or, if the pattern is bad: Is this reversible?


Matz

Gordon Hayward, Utah Jazz

What's up?

With Derrick Favors out with a nagging back injury, Hayward has ramped up his role in the Utah offense. His usage rate in January has climbed past 30 percent and, with the ball in his hands so often, he's averaging 4.5 assists this month.