With the playoffs just a couple of weeks away, everything this Los Angeles Lakers team does down the stretch will shape how successful their postseason run is. These remaining games are about building patterns and identifying trends.
We can all expect a couple of big-time scoring nights from Luka Doncic this postseason, as his 43 points against the Indiana Pacers on Wednesday now make it his 11th straight game scoring 30 or more. We can also expect some big games, playmaking and scoring-wise, from LeBron James, a couple of big scoring bursts from Austin Reaves, some highlight-reel stops from Marcus Smart, etc.
But what can the JJ Redick and LA's staff expect from Jaxson Hayes during the 2026 NBA Playoffs?
What this Lakers squad can expect from Hayes this postseason is consistent, constant energy and intensity with a couple of big-time game-winning type performances mixed in. We've seen over the course of 2025-26 that Hayes is more than capable of having nights when he looks like a former top-10 pick and is just in his zone.
The most recent example of this was on Wednesday when he had 21 points and 10 rebounds in place of Deandre Ayton in the team's starting lineup.
Jaxson Hayes is trending towards being Lakers' biggest swing factor this postseason
Hayes started with a transition highlight alley-oop off a LeBron pass, and from that point on, he dominated the game.
Whether it was getting the ball dumped off to him in the dunker spot, running the pick-and-roll with Reaves, or fighting for putbacks, he was all over the paint. He paired this offensive showing with a pair of steals and blocks, and even notched an assist from a dribble handoff with Luka.
Mixing all that in with an efficient 9-of-11 shooting from the field and six trips to the free-throw line, and it’s safe to say Hayes delivered a strong outing.
Some people may look at this performance and point to the fact that he did this as a starter and suggest he should take the team's starting center role from Ayton, but at this point, DA has earned that spot. Having Hayes off the bench gives LA the upside of having their backup five-man come in and deliver an explosive performance that can sway the outcome of the game.
Hayes has the ability to tilt the scales, and we've seen that all season, going back to December, when he had a big game that led the Lakers to beating the Dallas Mavericks. He then did the same thing the next game against the Phoenix Suns and did a similar thing the month before against the Miami Heat.
Hayes has already established himself as a winning player for the Lakers through his energy and connection with Doncic. But now, with him having these sporadic performances where he shows off that former top-10-pick potential, JJ Redick has another weapon capable of altering the outcome of a game come playoff time.