Austin Reeves says what NBA fans are saying about Jackson Hayes and La Lakers

Austin Reaves made an interesting comment about Jaxson Hayes after receiving a lot of criticism in the NBA playoffs.

As the Los Angeles Lakers head into a crucial offseason, they are gearing up to make some big moves as their playoff exits showed they are still pretty flawed in their roster structure.

The Lakers’ priorities are to build around Luka Donsic. The best way to boost Donsic is to surround him with a good defender, especially with paint.

And one of the Lakers’ important weaknesses is in the center position. Jaxson Hayes played well during the regular season, but Rudy Gobert was able to compete against the smaller center in the first round.

The Lakers aim to bring in key rim protectors, so they are linked to several center options. However, the deal they try to quit is difficult as other teams plan to punish the Lakers for a Don Chic deal and force them to overpay their assets.

However, with Hayes likely to be replaced this summer, the Raves came to his defense by saying Lakers fans were wrong.

In an interview with Lakers Nation, the Austin Raves spoke about a variety of topics. One thing he argued was the criticism Jackson Hayes faced after the Lakers’ playoff exit.

The Reaves claimed that Lakers fans quickly forgot how well Hayes played when Luka Doncic first arrived with the Lakers. Hayes struggled in the playoffs, but it’s unfair that fans forget what good he did between February and April.

“People throw people under the bus and throw Jackson under the bus,” Reeves said. “The first month Luka got there, Jackson was one of our most important players. He was playing at such a high level.”

“Obviously, you have some games that aren’t going your way and when the rotation twists and changes, everyone wants to jump off and be like “Jackson’s scary.”

“I think it’s that it has a big shape, a different look. Jackson’s Rob’s threat is not very athletic, but it’s not physical, but it can be compensated for in many different ways.

“If you have a different big that is size and strength and can reduce, you can play different types of methods.”

“I just wanted to throw it there about Jackson. Everyone seems to be ‘silly’ but he was so good for us with that two months of stretch that I wouldn’t have reached that third seed without him. ”

Jaxson Hayes’ figures and minutes rose after the Lukadon Sic deal, primarily as the Lakers lost their starting center options at Anthony Davis.

Haze numbers have improved significantly, but this can be attributed to playing with Donsic, who is excellent at enhancing big men. The table below shows the differences in his statistics before Luka Donsic’s arrival before last season and afterwards.

Hayes’ improvements are noteworthy, but especially in his score and efficiency, it’s not as impressive as other big names in his same situation.

In 2024, the Mavericks traded for Daniel Gafford. After playing with Doncic, look at his statistics in the table below from the seasons before and after.

Looking at both tables, it becomes clear that Gafford and Hayes have improved dramatically while playing with Doncic. However, their base level performance without Doncic is very different.

Without Luka, Gafford averaged almost twice his points per game with similar efficiency as Hayes.

And while his score didn’t make the leap that Hayes took, Gafford split minutes with Mavericks rookie center Derek Lively II, Hayes was relatively unintimidated at the center location.

The Lakers need a new center. Not only does Hayes play, they can’t rely on him to start. Gafford is linked to the Lakers, so perhaps Rob Perinka will explore that path with potential trade.