The Los Angeles Lakers are expected to get backup center Jaxson Hayes back on Tuesday night against the Phoenix Suns after a six-game absence due to an ankle sprain.
Given the Lakers’ lack of size in the frontcourt due to injuries, getting Hayes back will be a welcomed addition.
Six games isn’t a long absence but Hayes said he was still able to pick up some things while watching the Lakers from the sidelines.
“Obviously you watch and you just watch where you would be playing, the things that you would. I definitely thought I could take some time and help our defense out tomorrow when I get back, just took some notes from what I was watching,” Hayes said after practice on Monday.
Hayes added that transition defense and crashing the defensive glass were areas he noticed need more attention.
“A ton,” He said when asked how much those will be a focus for him and the Lakers moving forward. “That was our whole thing the last game before we got back, that was like our main emphasis the last game before I got was transition defense because the game before that was like our worst transition defense game of the year. So even before that, that’s been our thing and I think we just need to stay locked in on that type of stuff and the little details.”
Hayes would also describe what the Lakers look like when they are playing with the physicality required to be a good defensive team.
“You’re just watching guys get up under the ball. You’re watching guys fight over screens and they’re not dying on the screens, they’re actually fighting through them. Boxing guys out, you see like a little guard coming down and getting into a big’s legs, that’s them getting physical. A big pushing the other big up on the screen, just little things to get into them and knock them out of a rhythm a little bit so they can’t just walk through everything.”
Christian Koloko did an admirable job filling in for Hayes as the Lakers’ backup center, but the latter was playing really well before he went down so the team will surely be happy to see him back out there on Tuesday night.
Anthony Davis knows teams are trying to exploit Lakers’ defensive issues
The issues that Jaxson Hayes was talking about is not a secret to the Lakers as Anthony Davis recently acknowledged that teams are trying to exploit them on the offensive glass and in transition.
Davis is forced to handle the defensive glass by himself a lot of the time, so having some size back with Hayes should give the All-Star some help.
