One of the biggest concerns for the Los Angeles Lakers is their presence under the glass.
The acquisition of Luka Doncic provided the Lakeshow a tremendous boost, but they had to pay the price for it by giving up Anthony Davis to the Dallas Mavericks.
With Davis out, the Lakers were left with an immediate glaring issue about who will anchor their interior. LA legend Byron Scott expressed fears about the trade with the team losing the center’s superior defensive play.
Los Angeles attempted to make an immediate move to fill this huge void left by Davis by trading for Mark Williams. But it ultimately collapsed amid the Charlotte Hornets big’s dubious health condition.
In the wake of Lakers fans’ worries, Jaxson Hayes was tasked with stepping into the void left by Anthony Davis.
Known for being a backup center only in his career, he stepped up multiple times as the Lakers’ newest starter ever since Davis departed, leaving Lakers fans impressed with his solid performances.
For the hustle, energy, dirty work, and aggressiveness he demonstrates on a nightly basis, LeBron James is simply amazed for with how Hayes has helped the Lakers, giving the LA big his well-deserved flowers in the Mind the Game podcast.
“I got to give a big, big shout out and credit to Jaxson Hayes, man,” James said. “Him stepping into that void losing AD, it’s a lot. It’s a lot.
“It’s a lot of scoring, a lot of protection defensively, a lot of rebounding, a lot of block shots. But I think Jackson was just like I didn’t — I can’t make up for that, and we didn’t ask him to make up for that.
“We needed Jaxson to be high energy, be a force on offense, run the bigs, great screening, lob threat. But he’s just made great decisions. He’s been able to catch it in the pocket, stay on balance, and either be able to dunk it home or find guys on the perimeter.”
Since last month’s stunning blockbuster deal that landed Davis to the Mavericks, Hayes averaged 8.8 points and 5.5 rebounds while shooting nearly 77 percent from the field for 22.9 minutes.
His contributions beyond the stat sheet have significantly affected the Lakers’ late-season push that propelled the franchise as the current top-four seed in the Western Conference (46-29).
His synergy with Doncic has been drawing a lot of intrigue from their pick-and-roll combos and other offensive pairings.
Alternative options include the disappointing Alex Len, while some are unproven from both Trey Jemison and Christian Koloko.
Hayes’ importance to the Lakers can be viewed when he was sidelined earlier this month from a bruised right knee. Paying small ball, LA lost all of their four games as Hayes sat down to recover from his injury.
“Jaxson has been unbelievable in his minutes and we’re going to need that from him,” James added. “We know, you know how it unlocks Luka as well when it comes to pick and roll with a lob threat.”
“Having those minutes with Jaxson is a key.”
As they gear up for a desired championship run for the next three months, the Lakers will heavily rely on Hayes and the things he can bring to their table.
