Jazz's Gordon Hayward: Expected to return Sunday

Hayward (finger) is expected to make his season debut in Sunday's game against the Knicks, Tim MacMahon of ESPN reports.

Analysis:

Hayward has been sidelined since dislocating and fracturing his left index finger on Oct. 7. He was originally given a recovery timetable of six weeks, so a return Sunday would be slightly ahead of schedule. He will presumably return as the team's starting small forward, which would bump offseason acquisition Joe Johnson back to a reserve role. It is unclear if Hayward will see limited minutes in his return, as he likely has been able to keep up on his conditioning given the nature of his injury.