The Los Angeles Lakers signed Deandre Ayton to be the team’s starting center and he has come in and had a huge impact for them this season, nearly averaging a double-double and providing a much-needed physical presence down low. But his arrival has not diminished the importance of fellow big man Jaxson Hayes either.
Hayes stepped up big time last season after the Lakers traded away Anthony Davis, moving into the starting center role and improving his all-around game greatly. Now back as a reserve, he is still providing the Lakers with a ton of energy every time he is on the court and Ayton had a ton of praise for what he means to this team and his game overall.
“From the beginning of the year, Jaxson, he’s been doing phenomenal,” Ayton said after practice on Monday. “I told him every time, ‘To be honest you are the best big man I have played alongside with when it comes to holding your own. Yeah, we have different styles of play, but you are a momentum guy.’ The loud thunderous dunks and having the crowd involved and turning up the team, other than me just trying to find a pocket shot.
“He brings the momentum to the team and brings that offense with the pick-and-roll is gonna bring fully. His flying in the sky, even the attempts when he falls down sometimes, just letting teams know that you gotta watch your head. You can’t really ask for much, he’s playing on second effort as well where talent doesn’t even show really he’s just really putting in effort and sacrifice. I always give him his flowers every game just having my back, especially when I can’t play.”
As Ayton said, while he is more of a midrange guy, Hayes provides the thunderous dunks and alley-oops that brings the crowd to their feet and swings the momentum of a game. He is one of those players who just shifts the energy of the game when he’s on the court and that is greatly needed on this team.
The two of them have different games, but they each play an important role and when Hayes has been needed to step into a bigger role when Ayton has to sit out, he has been ready for that challenge as well.
JJ Redick credits Jaxson Hayes for improvements as a playmaker
While the big dunks and blocks are what Hayes is known for, he has also taken great strides as a passer and playmaker, something Lakers coach JJ Redick recently gave him credit for.
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