Gordon Hayward has made a conscious effort to be more aggressive on offense over the recent stretch of games. He is attacking the basket with more frequency and taking shots when they appear.

“[The coaches] want me to stay aggressive. That’s a big key,” said Hayward.

Hayward has struggled with confidence during the early part of his rookie season. He has been a pass-first player ever since high school.

“I’ve started telling myself … ‘You’re hurting the team if you don’t take that shot. Whether you make or miss, you’ve got to take that shot,’ ” said Hayward, who entered Saturday averaging 4 points, 1.8 rebounds and 0.9 assists while shooting 44.1 percent from the field and 45.1 percent behind the 3-point line.