Seen as more of a long-term prospect in the 2019 NBA Draft, Jaxson Hayes’ production this season has been an added bonus for New Orleans this season. After a rocky opening handful of months this season, Hayes has strung together a handful of strong performances in recent contests, including his first career double-double against Chicago on Wednesday.
He followed that up by notching a double-double against the Knicks two nights later, then scored a career-high 20 points in a loss to Boston on Saturday.
During shootaround for Friday’s game in Madison Square Garden, Lonzo Ball talked about Hayes’ development this season.
“He always plays hard. For him, it’s more about playing smart. I think that it’s hard for guys to finish over him on the defensive end. And on offense, obviously the pick and roll and offensive rebounding helps us a lot. For him, it’s just staying in the gym and playing smart.”
One of the biggest changes in recent games has been Hayes’ defensive play. While it’s still a work in progress, Hayes’ defensive rating of 114.1 in the last four games ranks third on the team among regular rotation players. On the season, Hayes is averaging 1.2 blocks per game. As Ball also noted, his physical capabilities help him impact both ends of the court.
“As tall as he is, as high as he can jump, he can help us on both ends of the court. Everybody tells him that all the time. It’s just about him doing it now.
“This is his first year. He’s only 19 so he’s got a lot to learn. But he picks it up fast and I think the sky’s the limit for him.”
Hayes’ play this season accelerates the timeline of the Pelicans’ rebuild. With him being a contributing member of the young core so quickly, the Pelicans have yet another asset to either move forward with or use to land a superstar via trade in the near future.
