{"id":125687,"date":"2025-02-26T06:00:34","date_gmt":"2025-02-26T11:00:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/?p=125687"},"modified":"2025-02-26T04:47:43","modified_gmt":"2025-02-26T09:47:43","slug":"analyzing-jaxson-hayes-impact","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/2025\/02\/26\/analyzing-jaxson-hayes-impact\/","title":{"rendered":"Analyzing Jaxson Hayes’ Elevated Role And Impact"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Los Angeles Lakers signed free agent Jaxson Hayes<\/a> in 2023 on a two-year deal after he spent four seasons with the New Orleans Pelicans. Hayes would play with the Pelicans from 2019-20 until 2022-23. After being drafted to New Orleans, his role would be limited behind Derrick Favors<\/a> in 2019-20, Steven Adams<\/a> in 2020-21, and Jonas Valan\u010di\u016bnas<\/a> in his last two seasons with New Orleans. This would continue after joining the purple and gold due to being behind All-Star Anthony Davis<\/a>. After the blockbuster trade<\/a> that sent Davis to the Mavericks in exchange for superstar Luka Don\u010di\u0107<\/a>, his role on the team has elevated tremendously. He stands as their primary center and his game continues to grow as he gets more playing time.<\/p>\n

Analyzing Jaxson Hayes’ Elevated Role And Impact<\/h2>\n

Confident & Ready for the Challenge<\/h3>\n

While Hayes has had to embrace a lot of change with Davis gone, he’s stayed positive and is ready to take on a bigger role for the team. As most players in the league want their roles to be elevated, Hayes is taking this seriously.<\/p>\n

After a Lakers practice interview<\/a>, he expressed his readiness for the elevated role.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou obviously, like wherever you are in the NBA, you gotta try to make the most out of it. Try to make a name for yourself. But obviously, like better fits for better players. And I feel personally, I feel like this might be one of the best fits, like team-wise for guys for me to play with personally. It\u2019s just me selfishly speaking. I\u2019m really excited about it.”<\/p>\n

With taking on the starting center role, he is filling some large shoes from the Lakers previous starting center. He is not someone to be compared to Davis, but he is prepared for the added responsibility.<\/p>\n

“I feel like I\u2019m very prepared,\u201d Hayes said. \u201cGod\u2019s blessed me with a bunch of talents and a bunch of abilities, and I\u2019m fully ready to take full advantage of it. And blessed me with this opportunity now, with the new team and with all the new guys, and so just ready to take advantage of it.\u201d<\/p>\n

Level of Play<\/h3>\n

Hayes has been doing extremely well throughout the season when he’s been given the opportunity. His contagious attitude and will to learn have set him up for the position role he is taking now. That is a quite hefty workload as the starting center. Hayes is currently averaging 6.0 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 1.1 assists on 70.2% shooting from the field. Despite those numbers being rather pedestrian, it doesn’t exactly show the impact he has on the floor. That is quite similar to what Jarred Vanderbilt<\/a>‘s stat sheet doesn’t show during his minutes on the floor.<\/p>\n

A few attributes to name for Hayes are his aggressive on the glass, ability to alter shots with his length, and boxing out. With his versatile athleticism as a big man also opens up the lob-threat. Their primary playmakers in Don\u010di\u0107, LeBron James<\/a>, and Austin Reaves<\/a> make it easy and fun<\/a> for the big man. Considering the starting role for him is still fresh, we can expect Hayes to continue to elevate his game. And even if the stat sheet doesn’t show a double-double, most know and understand the level of impact and growth for Hayes in his sixth year are undeniable. With a tough schedule for LA ahead, Jaxson Hayes needs to continue his impact on both ends of the floor.<\/p>\n

Photo credit: \u00a9 Chris Nicoll-Imagn Images<\/p>\n

\n

Jaxson Hayes | Big Man Up.<\/p>\n

Fun Fact:<\/p>\n

Jaxson has recorded 1+ Blks in a career-high 9 straight games.<\/p>\n

Longest stretch of his career.<\/p>\n

He has avgd 1.7 BPG in that time. Well above his career 0.7 BPG.<\/p>\n

We are literally in the most prolific Shot Blocking stretch of Hayes\u2019 career. pic.twitter.com\/TYT2NPTTKb<\/a><\/p>\n

— Lakers Legacy (@LakersLegacyPod) February 18, 2025<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n