VIDEO: Gordon Hayward chases down, swats Wayne Ellington

Gordon Hayward has quietly gone about putting together a career-year through the first half of the season, posting averages of 19.2 points, 4.8 rebounds, 4.1 assists and 1.3 steals after signing a generous new ($60-plus million) contract in the offseason.

He also continues to put forth an honest defensive effort, despite his shortcomings on that end of the floor, as this chase-down block on Wayne Ellington of the Los Angeles Lakers can attest.

With a fat new contract in hand and the young Utah Jazz already an afterthought in the Western Conference, it's probably tempting to check out early, but Hayward doesn't appear interested in doing that anytime soon.