Jazz's Hill: It'll be a 'disgrace' if Hayward isn't an All-Star

Utah Jazz forward Gordon Hayward has been unable to shed his "All-Star snub" label over the past several seasons for a number of reasons, the most notable being that the Western Conference is so stacked with talent that his exclusion is simply a matter of there not being enough space on the roster.

Nearing the midway point of the 2016-17 campaign, the 26-year-old is playing the best basketball of his career, making him more than worthy of the opportunity once again. Now whether he gets it remains to be seen, so for now, he can use teammate George Hill as his unofficial spokesperson to help secure him votes and boost his standing.

"It'll be a disgrace if he's not an All-Star this year," Hill said Tuesday, according to ESPN's Tim McMahon. "I feel like he deserves it with the numbers he's put up this year and winning a little bit. That should be a no-brainer for him.

"Who knows? Sometimes it's about stats, sometimes it's about winning. In his case, he's got stats and he's winning."

What Hayward has going for him is that - as Hill acknowledged - Utah is sitting pretty in the playoff picture as the sixth seed with a 24-16 record, while not appearing at risk of falling out anytime soon. His productivity across the board (22.2 points on 45.9 percent shooting, 5.9 rebounds, 3.5 assists, and one steal in 35.1 minutes) should also give voters something to think about when casting their ballots.

Hayward himself, knowing how he's fallen short of making the team in the past, would feel more confident in his odds if the Jazz had a few more wins under their belt.

"I feel like we've got to move up a little bit higher in the standings," Hayward said. "I'm worrying about wins more than anything, and I think that stuff usually comes when you're winning."

It's been six years since someone competing in Salt Lake City was named an All-Star, with point guard Deron Williams being a coaches selection for the 2010-11 squad.