Jaxson Hayes was thrust into the Los Angeles Lakers’ starting lineup following the Luka Doncic trade that shipped Anthony Davis to the Dallas Mavericks.
Hayes had been serving a valuable role off the bench as one of the Lakers’ center options, but without Davis head coach JJ Redick named him a starter and he took off from there. Hayes displayed immediate chemistry with Doncic as a rim-running lob threat, connecting numerous times with the superstar guard and establishing himself as a key piece in the rotation.
However, Hayes saw his playing time dwindle in the first round against the Minnesota Timberwolves as head coach JJ Redick preferred to utilize his small-ball lineups. Redick said he still believed in Hayes but didn’t rule out benching him.
That reality came to pass in Game 5 as Redick benched Hayes for Dorian Finney-Smith, though it ended up not mattering as the Lakers lost and were eliminated by the Timberwolves. While it must have been difficult for Hayes to give up starting, he revealed he knew the decision was coming and respected the coaching staff’s choice.
“I mean, they told me. They were up straight with me in just saying to stay ready and they were gonna try some other things out. That was the coach’s decision, so I respect that always,” Hayes said.
Los Angeles’ offense sputtered with Hayes on the floor, so Redick made the move to give the team more spacing. Unfortunately, playing smaller for long stretches had obvious drawbacks such as a lack of rebounding and rim protection.
Hayes could’ve helped in that regard, but overall it was clear that the Lakers were a flawed roster that didn’t have the requisite versatility and depth that other playoff rosters normally have. Hayes is at his best when he isn’t being asked to do too much, but the series against Minnesota made it hard for him to play for extended periods.
Hayes is an unrestricted free agent this summer, but a reunion with Los Angeles might make sense for both sides. Hayes can go back to coming off the bench assuming the Lakers add a true starting center, and he shouldn’t cost as much.
Jaden McDaniels felt he could attack rim when Jaxson Hayes was off the floor
The Timberwolves were relentless attacking the paint for layups, dunks and open 3-pointers. Jaden McDaniels had a big series offensively and he noted that he felt he could be more aggressive when Jaxson Hayes was off the floor.
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