Los Angeles Lakers center Jaxson Hayes was left out of the rotation for Game 5 against the Minnesota Timberwolves. Following the 103-96 loss and being eliminated from the playoffs, Hayes was asked why he was given a DNP for the game by head coach JJ Redick. The center addressed this at the postgame press conference by saying:
“They told me … just to stay ready, and they’re going to try some other things out. That was coach’s decision, and I respect that always.”
Jaxson Hayes was the Lakers’ starting center in 35 of the 56 games he played in the regular season. With Anthony Davis being traded to the Dallas Mavericks, the 5th-year veteran became the only legitimate big man on the Lakers’ roster who had any experience playing alongside LeBron James. With a significant lack of big man depth on the roster, he was promoted to being a starter.
Although Hayes had developed into a solid starting center in the short time leading up to the postseason, it was clear that the big man was out of his depth when matched up against Timberwolves center Rudy Gobert.
The matchup against Gobert created a lot of problems in the center position for the Lakers. While the disparity in performances could be attributed to size, Hayes simply struggled to go against someone who was significantly more skilled than him.
Hayes’ contribution to the Lakers’ postseason was minimal. In the four games he played in, he racked up a total of seven points to go with eight rebounds and one block. He played a total of 30 minutes over those four games. This is a drastic drop-off from his regular-season averages of 6.8 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 0.9 blocks in 19.5 minutes played per game.
Given that his role is primarily to set screens and be a lob threat coming out of pick-and-rolls, he saw his effectiveness reduced drastically when going up against the Wolves’ length in the frontcourt.
However, he could have been effective to some extent in Game 5, as Gobert had a monster performance to secure the win to seal the series. In a game where the Lakers opted to play Maxi Kleber, who was making his debut, Gobert recorded 27 points and 24 rebounds.
When considering that Gobert’s highest-scoring game before Game 5 against the Lakers was six points, it certainly does sting to know that Hayes’ presence on the floor could have made some difference to the effort.
With the season coming to an end, it is evident that the Lakers have a lot to think about if they intend to be a contender next season. A primary matter that needs to be addressed is their big man rotation. LeBron James called out the team’s lack of stable centers indirectly. In doing so, he also reiterated the importance of size in the playoffs.
Jaxson Hayes will go into this offseason as a free agent. The Lakers’ lack of solid big men could spell an opportunity for him to return to the Lakers, albeit in a reduced capacity. With several names being linked to the Lakers, it will be interesting to see how they proceed with roster construction in the upcoming offseason.
