With how well Los Angeles Lakers star Luka Doncic has been playing to start the season, most teams eventually come to the same conclusion and that’s that they need to blitz him on pick-and-rolls to get the ball out of his hands.
When that happens, it creates a 4-on-3 advantage for the Lakers with the screener often needing to playmake out of the short roll. That is a tough skill to develop for most centers, but Jaxson Hayes, in particular, has made big strides in that regard.
With Deandre Ayton out of the lineup, Hayes got the start against the L.A. Clippers on Tuesday night and turned in one of his best performances of the season with eight points, four rebounds, three assists, one steal and one block.
After the dominant victory for the Lakers, head coach JJ Redick gave praise to Hayes for the growth he has shown as a playmaker.
“I thought that group to start the fourth quarter and then when Jaxson [Hayes] was out there with Luka, that execution offensively was high level,” Redick said. “Jaxson made multiple pocket decisions against the blitz. [He made] every type of read you can make, rim, corner, corner cut and slot. He threw the lob to Rui [Hachimura]. So, it just a high-level game from him.”
Hayes also discussed Doncic getting blitzed and what he is trying to accomplish when that happens.
“I just try to do my job,” he said. “When they’re in a drop I try to roll as quick as possible and get out of there and when they start blitzing Luka, I know I gotta short roll and just playmake out of there because I know most likely teams are gonna be pulling in because they don’t want me to get a free dunk so I just gotta make my reads from there and then if they’re not pulling in then I got a free dunk. If not, kick out for a 3 or a lob.”
With Ayton and Hayes, the Lakers have two big men that can not only score inside, but can also create shots for others, making the team’s offense awfully difficult to stop when everything is going right.
Luka Doncic willing to pay Lakers teammate Jaxson Hayes’ fine
Luka Doncic got in a bit of an altercation with Kris Dunn late in the Lakers’ win over the Clippers and Jaxson Hayes stepped in and shoved Dunn to have his teammate’s back. Doncic appreciated that and even offered to pay Hayes’ fine after he was given a technical foul.
Have you subscribed to our YouTube channel? It’s the best way to watch player interviews, exclusive coverage from events, participate in live shows, and more!
