With so much at stake in the 2026 NBA playoffs, Lakers coach JJ Redick is willing to make the tough calls if it means maximizing the chances for success.
So after opting to keep backup big man Jaxon Hayes over starting center Deandre Ayton down the stretch of Game 2’s victory, Redick did not let any lingering resentment fester. Instead, as he revealed in a chat during Thursday’s media press briefing, he took the initiative by meeting with Ayton directly after the game and absolving him of any blame.
“Overall, with him, he’s had a great season, and he’s been a big key in both these games. Defensively, I thought he was really good in the second half of Game 2 and hadn’t played a ton down the stretch to start the fourth. We had just had a long run, and that was during a stretch when there wasn’t a lot of dead balls, and I told him I was gonna get him out real quick, and get him back in, and then Jaxon just played great. DA and I had a conversation today, it was: ‘You didn’t do anything, that wasn’t the reason you didn’t finish the game. The group out there was just winning.’ Jaxson was doing a great job.”
Ayton, the first overall pick in 2018, was the Lakers’ big signing this summer. While he embraced expectations from the jump, his play has been defined by consistency and lapses in attention that too often put his team on the wrong end of plays. JJ Redick has expressed frustration several times throughout the season and even began limiting his minutes in favor of Jaxson Hayes.
When Ayton’s role seemed reduced in the second half of Tuesday’s contest, fans and analysts assumed it was due to a failure on his part. Instead, according to Redick, Hayes was just playing too well to take off the floor. With active hands and a fiery energy on both ends of the court, he made a notable impact off the bench, finishing with six points, four rebounds, one assist, one steal, and two blocks on 50.0% shooting in 21 minutes. Best of all, he was a team-high +12, proving just how well he played that night.
In the end, with the game on the line, Redick went with what was working rather than catering to anybody’s ego. Deandre Ayton, important as he may be, had to take a step back for the team, and it couldn’t have been easy. But with the win and JJ Redick’s private conversation, there are no signs that he’s feeling any lingering resentment.
Ultimately, only time will tell if the Lakers can advance to the next round, but there is no doubt now that everyone’s on board with the mission. Even without their two leading scorers, the Lakers have an opportunity to win this series and make their first of many playoff runs in the Luka Doncic era. Up 2-0 over the Rockets, they have all the momentum heading into Game 3, and Ayton’s selfless attitude will set the right example for his teammates in such a critical stretch of the season.
