The Los Angeles Lakers have struggled with depth behind Anthony Davis this season. Christian Wood, originally projected to be Davis’s backup, is recovering from knee surgery with a growing timeline for a return. Now, LA has been dealt another blow they must manage in a young 2024-25 campaign.
Lakers Center Depth Growing Thin with New Injury
Jaxson Hayes Out
Jaxson Hayes, the 24-year-old high-flier who stepped in Wood’s place, has now joined Wood on the sidelines following a left ankle sprain.
Jaxson Hayes suffered a left ankle sprain in practice Tuesday and will miss the Grizzlies game tonight, per the Lakers. He’ll be reevaluated in 1-2 weeks, per the team.
— Dave McMenamin (@mcten) November 13, 2024
Hayes was enjoying a productive start to his sixth year in the league. Across 10 games (one start), he averaged 6.3 points and 4.6 rebounds while shooting 70% from the field and 79% from the free-throw line. While no one could fill Davis’s shoes, Hayes did the best he could, serving as a reliable lob threat and rim protector both behind and, sometimes, next to AD.
Lakers' big guys connect for the big-to-big lob!
AD faces up and finds Jaxson Hayes for the slam 💪
📺 #NBAPreseason on NBA TV pic.twitter.com/nhLAi5HPXg
— NBA (@NBA) October 16, 2024
He recently helped lift a struggling bench unit alongside D’Angelo Russell, who often found him on rolls to the basket, building on their chemistry from last season.
UP TOP 😲
Jaxson Hayes goes full extension off the lob from DLo!
LAL lead by 10 on TNT | #KiaTipOff24 pic.twitter.com/2wOYnAh35E
— NBA (@NBA) October 23, 2024
Hayes’s absence leads to questions of who should replace him in the interim. For that, the Lakers could turn to several options.
Turn to the Two-Ways
The Lakers have one more true 7-footer on the roster: two-way contract big Christian Koloko. Koloko returned to the NBA after missing the entirety of last season with a blood clot. The 24-year-old ex-Arizona center made his season debut on Nov. 6 against the Grizzlies, finishing with two points, two rebounds and one block in 13 minutes of action.
Koloko also joined the G League’s South Bay Lakers in their season opener against the Salt Lake City Stars. He played 19 minutes in that game, finishing with 10 points, five rebounds, two assists, one steal and one block.
Koloko is a defensive-minded big man who is agile enough to roam on the perimeter instead of camping out in the paint. That agility can be vital in pick-and-roll defense, where Koloko breaks up plays through deflections and close contests, as seen in this video from Pete Zayas of Laker Film Room.
Zayas went on to praise Koloko as “the best defensive pick-and-roll player the Lakers have had at the five spot—other than AD—in several years.”
With Koloko ready to play, head coach JJ Redick could slide him into the rotation immediately. He’d provide a necessary boost up front and fill Hayes’s role of a lob threat and shot blocker. Koloko could also prove himself and work toward an increased opportunity in Redick’s rotation.
Return of Small Ball?
Given Redick’s eye for innovation, there’s also a possibility that he throws out a small-ball lineup with either Rui Hachimura or LeBron James in the middle. Both players are familiar playing as the five in previous years as Lakers. They would also provide necessary floor-spacing next to Davis, Austin Reaves and Cam Reddish. Though unlikely, Redick going small could be just what the Lakers need to get by, as they continually try and beat teams with their shooting and physicality.
The Last Word
The Lakers’ injury situation is far from ideal, especially at this point in the season. It also underscores the need for them to acquire help in the frontcourt—a conversation that could be had all the way up to the trade deadline. For now, as they’ve done in the first ten games, the Lakers will need to get through the next few games with the personnel they have, looking for players like Koloko to step up and star in their roles.
