For the most part, Los Angeles Lakers center Jaxson Hayes thrives as a rim-running big man who uses his athleticism and energy to finish with big dunks and alter shots at the rim on the other end. That is a big reason why he thrives next to Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves as he gives them the perfect outlet in the pick-and-roll.
But one area that has gone a bit unnoticed is Hayes’ passing ability. While no one would confuse him with the likes of Nikola Jokic or Draymond Green, the big man has shown that he can do more than just run and dunk, oftentimes catching the ball on the short roll and finding cutters or shooters in the corner for great looks and easy buckets.
This is something that has stood out to head coach JJ Redick, who recently commented on Hayes’ improvement as a passer and decision-maker going back to last season after the Lakers acquired Doncic, via Spectrum SportsNet:
“I think the biggest thing that he’s continued to develop, and started to last year, is just a pocket decision maker. Whether that’s versus the blitz or not, his progression, his reads has gotten much better going back to when we got Luka. Developed it a little bit last year, we had some success with it and he’s been really good this year.”
Hayes’ assist numbers won’t stand out as you won’t see him near double-digits in any game. But there are more games where he will have two, three or four which is a stark improvement compared to earlier in his career. His total assists last season were a career-high and should he continue on the rate he’s at this season he will have more assists over the past two years than the previous four combined.
This is great for the Lakers overall as it makes the offense more diverse. Hayes’ improvement as a passer has earned him the trust of Luka and Reaves that they can find him on that short role and know a good play is coming which eases some of their burden. With all of the highlight plays Hayes often makes, those passes won’t stand out, but they are noticeable to Redick and the rest of the Lakers and makes a big difference for this team overall.
LeBron James says Lakers must be ready for challenge of missing key players
Hayes has been pushed into the starting lineup recently as Deandre Ayton dealt with an injury and with the Lakers potentially missing other key players, even if it’s for a short time, LeBron James says everyone else must be ready to step up.
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