Lakers big men are rounding into form with playoffs on horizon 

Jaxson Hayes pulled something off he’s done just a few times this season during Monday night’s home win over the Wizards.

And even though Hayes made it clear through his actions and words that he can do it more, the Lakers don’t need him to.

With three seconds left on the shot clock on a sideline out of bounds play midway through the fourth quarter, Hayes caught a pass from LeBron James with none of his teammates open to receive a pass and nothing but space in front of him. 

Instead of attempting to drive into the paint for a floater or one of his signature dunks, Hayes let it fly from beyond the 3-point arc.

And he made it, putting him at 3 for 3 on 3-pointers this season, with a celebration dance to follow. 

Hayes has attempted just 14 combined 3s with the Lakers over the last three seasons after taking 14 in his second season with the Pelicans, 57 in his third season and 29 in his fourth season before coming to Los Angeles. 

“Always,” Hayes responded when asked whether he works on his 3-pointers. “Always. At the end of the day, I’m an NBA player and I still work on other things too. I can’t just work on dunking all day, so I gotta work on some things.”

But for the Lakers, spacing and stretching out the floor isn’t necessary or the role they need from him.

They need Hayes’ activity near the rim, which was showcased with the three dunks and two putbacks he had against the Wizards.

Or the 2.2 offensive rebounds he’s averaged over the previous six games entering Tuesday’s home game against the Cavaliers. 

“Hopefully not,” coach JJ Redick quickly responded when asked about Hayes or starting center Deandre Ayton shooting more 3s. 

Redick added: “Even though Jaxson made one, it’s so important for those guys, for our team, for them to put pressure on the rim. They’ve done it in a number of ways. Done it in transition. Jaxson gets ahead of his guy early, [LeBron James] hits him, he gets a dunk. DA as a roller. Jaxson out of our 88 spacing always does a really good job just playing off LeBron or Luka [Doncic]. For us, we’re elite when we touch the paint and we don’t touch the paint enough. So, the emphasis is not for our bigs to pick-and-pops and shot 3s. But it’s to put pressure on the rim.”

In other words, the Lakers’ big man tandem of Ayton and Hayes are playing their roles, even if they’re capable of more.

And over the last few weeks, both have been exceptional in their roles, giving the Lakers nearly 48 minutes of quality big man play, which is a stark contrast to how they finished last season.

After trading for Doncic last February, with Maxi Kleber sidelined with a foot injury, Hayes was the lone big man getting regular rotation minutes, but still averaged just 21.8 minutes as the Lakers’ starting center post-All-Star break – just two more minutes than he’s averaged as the backup big post All-Star break this season.

The Lakers’ reliance on center-less lineups to close out last season worked, but left them vulnerable to bigger teams, a factor in why the Timberwolves beat them in five games in the first round of last year’s playoffs.

But this year is different.

Ayton buying into his role has been well-documented. And Hayes’ continued emergence gives the Lakers another big man option.

“I make sure I do whatever the team needs me to do. So I’m gonna screen and do a bunch of other things.”

But if he finds himself wide open for 3 again?

“It ain’t really my job,” Hayes said. “But if I get an open one, I’m definitely shooting.”

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