Jaxson Hayes Discussion: Looking Lost

There's something about his game that is underwhelming.

He's got the size, athleticism, youth, reach, and speed to be much better than what he is. Yet, he barely averages 1 steal and 2 blocks if you go PER36 minutes.

Not a good rebounder and doesn't exactly do well against bulky centers and not exactly the smartest defender against wings.

At best, he's a 3rd string center forced to play starting because the Lakers had to make a trade for Luka and gave up their only competent big so I don't blame him.

Lakers definitely have to grab a legit center next season... Wouldn't mind seeing Hayes back but hopefully not as a starting center again.

 

He doesn’t have it between the ears. That’s it.

If he did, he’d touch the floor.

 

Yea iq, zubac barely jumps on his reb attempts, hayes can touch his head in rim but never managed to have a respectable reb rate

 

It was a 9 minute long train wreck.

To make it worse, the complaining. I already brought it up in the playoff thread, but just stop. JJ's already gotten on you about it in the season.

 

Sorry to say it, but for those who tried to claim I didn’t know what I was talking about regarding Jax- “I told you so.”

 

He is who he is, there is a reason that he went from a lottery pick, to a minimum contract in a few years. We've had him long enough to see why too.

 

Jax is only an elite leaper on the run off one foot. He can barely get off the floor when standing still and jumping to block shots and rebound. Maybe offseason strength and conditioning can address some of that.

 

He had a good run in March but he's back to his usual level which is a good 3rd string center .

 

What’s the point of starting him? To get the jump ball?

 

Im shocked, shocked i tell you...

 

He has looked rubbish for the last few weeks which is a total farcry from his strong play when Luka came. He was finishing everything, switching onto perimeter players, e generally being a positive on the floor.

 

I HATE when a coach keeps starting a player in the 2nd half whose going to be subbed out after 3 minutes .

 

i've been struggling to figure this out. i knew he was a 20mpg player, even with luka. but he was doing that well at first. i'd have to watch more closely to see what the opposition has done to end all that, but it's clearly over.

i just don't love our options otherwise. we can start small and stay small, but man...i just don't think that can work all game, much less all series long. guessing jj agrees, and that's why we keep trying with jax.

 

I don’t get it either. But they’re scoring on us easier when Jax is on the floor and we’re finding it tougher to score on them.

I’d like Luka to attack the basket and get some floaters going. That mid range between the elbow and paint will force Gobert/Naz to rotate so he can free up Hayes. Once Hayes establishes a vertical threat, it opens up the game for Luka more.

 

When having our smaller players front their bigs down low works better defensively than having our center do his job, we have a big problem.
This one was obvious last summer and even a serviceable option at Center would have sufficed. SMH.

 

He has no strength for a guy at his size and he's just DUMB

 

low hoop iq has always been an issue for hayes, but luka has a way of making the game easier for guys. maybe hayes is a bridge too far? again, it felt like they had something going offensively (and there are still some flashes of that in this series, like the lob early in game 4), but the problem seems to be that hayes looks like a defender but just isn't one.

i'd still probably keep him on a low money deal as a backup option/regular season minutes eater, but it seems clear he's not built for the playoffs.