Trailing by eight with under seven minutes remaining, the Lakers teetered on the edge of disaster against the lowly, but finally healthy, New Orleans Pelicans. Out of a timeout, head coach J.J. Redick chose to insert Jaxson Hayes.
On the next defensive possession, Hayes absorbs Zion Williamson’s force on a drive, leading to a block and a rebound to send the Lakers the other way. On the next possession, he draws an offensive foul on Williamson that negates another straight-line drive, creating another turnover.
A 12-0 run followed his entrance into the fourth, leading to a Laker win. Hayes stayed in until the final buzzer, as has often been the case as of late. After losing minutes and even collecting a DNP-CD in LA’s final playoff game last season, Hayes has made tremendous defensive strides this year.
These improvements have catapulted him into a closing center role and an important piece as the Lakers head back to the playoffs.
“Jaxson has had, I think, a really good season,” Redick said postgame. ”I know I played with him his first two years. He’s a better basketball player. He’s gotten better. He’s making touch shots around the rim, he’s making great pocket decisions. He consistently injects energy into the group when he runs the floor, blocks the shot or gets those dunks.”
Hayes has first improved defensively in using verticality and absorbing contact at the rim. He reportedly put on 20 pounds of muscle over the summer and it shows in his rim contests.
Watch below as the Nuggets run a dribble hand-off with Hayes in drop coverage. His job is to engage the ball handler, Tim Hardaway Jr, in time for his teammate to recover while preventing the screener, Jonas Valanciunas, from rolling behind.
He struggled with timing in this coverage last season, which was one reason his minutes dipped when the playoffs began.
He jumps with his hands up, absorbs contact and blocks it cleanly without fouling.
“I thought as the season progressed last year, we cleaned up a lot of the illegal screens,” Reddick said. “He got a lot better, particularly after the trade with Luka at making pocket decisions versus shocks and blitzes. But we never really got there with the fouling and keeping his hands out of the action.
“He’s been much better this year. I think in terms of the verticality that you’re talking about as the low man, he’s the best guy we have on our team.”
Verticality and low-man responsibility are crucial for a team starting Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves in the backcourt. Both are offensively potent but struggle defensively in containment on drives.
Watch as Williamson, guarded by Hayes, calls for a screen to get Luka switched onto him. Like most on-ball creators, he wants that matchup. He drives, but Hayes rotates, arms up, and gets the deflection.
The Lakers also switch as much as any team in the league. “We don’t show,” as Redick once put it. This means the center is relied on to defend some of the league’s top perimeter talent.
Hayes is the Lakers’ best big for switching out. His 7’3 wingspan and wing-like speed help him move his feet. Deandre Ayton and Maxi Kleber, the other centers on the roster, have had less success.
Watch as the Lakers switch to their “1-5” defensive coverage. Redick signals it by putting one and five fingers in different hands. This means switching all screen actions, even the tough Jamal Murray and Nikola Jokic pick-and-roll, a staple for Denver’s offense.
Hayes stays with Murray by shifting his feet and gets the closeout to force a miss. Here’s another example against Trey Murphy from the Pelicans, where he gets such a good contest that it forces an airball.
Hayes isn’t the most talented Lakers center. That is Ayton, who will likely keep starting for now. However, Hayes’ defensive improvement and offensive fit with Luka give him a case for starting in high-leverage games.
The lack of confidence in Hayes last playoffs still lingers as the postseason approaches. Whether his defensive improvement is real will decide if the team is sent home early once again.
You can follow Raj on Twitter at @RajChipalu
