Jaxson Hayes has proven to be more important than expected as the 2024-25 season progresses, especially with the Los Angeles Lakers dealing with several injuries.
Christian Wood and Jarred Vanderbilt are both still out due to injuries, and in the Lakers’ most recent win against the Toronto Raptors, Anthony Davis had to leave the game after being poked in the eye.
Head coach JJ Redick mentioned that Davis had trouble seeing after the injury, though it’s not considered serious.
With the team needing someone to step up behind Davis, Hayes has taken on the challenge. In the win against the Raptors, he performed really well, especially in the paint, and used his speed and athleticism to get to the right spots on the floor. He was also a big part of the offense, rolling hard to the rim.
Hayes has also benefited from playing alongside LeBron James, and he shared how much he enjoys it. “He makes the game so easy,” Hayes said. “We’ll be in a timeout, and he’ll tell me where to go.
Then, when we come out of the timeout, he gets me a drop-off dunk. He just knows the game so well, and you know he’s going to pass and find you, even if he has two or three guys on him.”
Hayes went on to talk about how he grew up watching LeBron, saying, “Obviously I grew up a huge LeBron fan, I’d drive up three or four hours from Cincinnati to Cleveland to go catch his games. Obviously it’s awesome catching drop-offs and ‘oops from him.”
LeBron’s basketball IQ and playmaking are well known, and he put Hayes in the right positions to score. James has been looking to pass first when he has the ball, and players like Hayes are always ready because the ball can come to them quickly.
Davis is expected to be fine and is not expected to miss any games because of the eye injury, but if he does have to sit out, Hayes will likely have a bigger role on the court.
Jaxson Hayes spoke about stepping up in Davis’ absence after he left the game against Toronto. He shared his mindset and approach to filling in for Davis, especially focusing on defense.
