The Los Angeles Lakers had an important trade fall through after Mark Williams failed his physical, but it seems like they solved the Anthony Davis problem, anyway.
This season, the Los Angeles Lakers announced three trades, although only two of them went through. In December, the Lakers recruited Dorian Finney-Smith from the Brooklyn Nets, and he has quickly turned into one of the team’s best perimeter defenders.
In February, the Lakers sent Anthony Davis, Max Christie, and a first-round pick to the Dallas Mavericks in a blockbuster trade for Luka Doncic, and then, a few days later, they swapped rookie Dalton Knecht and draft picks for Charlotte Hornets’ center Mark Williams.
Williams would later fail a physical, and the trade with Charlotte would be rescinded, prompting concerns in Los Angeles over who would take over as the starting center with Davis shipped off to Dallas, but it turned out they had an ideal player already on the roster.
Jaxson Hayes has replaced Anthony Davis, it’s going well for the Lakers
Averaging 7.6 points and 5.4 rebounds since being added to the starting lineup 14 games ago, Jaxson Hayes isn’t leaving the greatest impact in the box score ever, but the Lakers’ 12-2 record speaks for itself.
Los Angeles is now second in the Western Conference after starting the season with doubt that they would even make the postseason, and Hayes’ ability to slot into the starting lineup and provide Doncic and LeBron James with exactly what they need can’t be overstated.
In 2023, he signed a two-year, $4.6 million contract with the Purple and Gold. This season, the Lakers started with Davis, Hayes, Jarred Vanderbilt, Christian Wood, and Christian Koloko all on the roster as centers and power forwards, although Davis was the only player who was reliably healthy, as ironic as that is, given Davis’ injury history.
When Davis was traded to the Mavericks, the Lakers were the clear winners of the trade, although they did have a very clear weakness down low. Hayes has provided some relief, and, despite his low scoring numbers, two stats stand out, highlighting his impact.
Jaxson Hayes is leaving his mark in two distinct ways for LA
In his 14 most recent starts as the full-time center, Hayes refuses to space the floor and shoot the 3-ball, although it doesn’t really matter, as Doncic, James, Finney-Smith, and Austin Reaves are all capable shooters. From the floor, Hayes is shooting 76.7% on all attempts, which, if stretched out over the entire season, would be in first place, significantly ahead of second-place Walker Kessler’s 72.7% mark.
Over the last 14 games, the Lakers as a whole boast the fifth-best field goal percentage in the NBA at 49.4 percent, up slightly from their season mark of 48.1 percent.
On top of his efficient (albeit limited) scoring, Hayes is posting the sixth-best offensive rebounding percentage number on the team and is second behind only Vanderbilt when looking at only regular rotation players.
His 1.4 offensive rebounds per game isn’t an elite number by any means, but it is second behind only Vanderbilt among current Lakers, and his ability to secure rebounds and either go up for a second-chance basket or kick it out to an open shooter allows the Lakers to get the most out of each possession.
There is no doubt that Hayes isn’t as good as Davis on either end of the floor, but the new-look Lakers don’t need an All-Star down low; they just need a reliable player who can keep up with some of the more talented players in the postseason, and with the teams winning track record, Hayes fits the bill.