With both Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves set to miss the rest of the regular season, the magnifying glass has only gotten bigger on the rest of the Los Angeles Lakers roster. Hello Jaxson Hayes and Deandre Ayton.
All season, the center position has been a trending topic for LA as the duo have had incredible highs but also extremely low lows. Now with two of the Lakers' three stars sidelined, those lows can be no more. The Lakers must have an all-hands-on-deck approach, and that starts with the center spot.
With Lakers head coach JJ Redick's system this season being focused on creating from the perimeter, Ayton and Hayes were mostly focused on the dirty work. The centers were asked for screens, play-finishing, and rebounding. Now, with Doncic and Reaves out of the fold, the Lakers' 3-point shooting ability takes a big hit, and a focus on scoring inside may take precedence.
This shift in style of play is a golden opportunity for both Ayton and Hayes to really redeem themselves within the Lakers fan base after all the inconsistency throughout the season.
Pressure is on the Lakers’ big men to deliver in the final stretch
It's not like neither Hayes nor Ayton haven't been featured offensive players throughout their careers.
Back in 2021, Ayton was the second scoring option on a Phoenix Suns team that went to game six of the NBA Finals. He has all the tools, the touch, the IQ, and the body, and if he can put it all together the same way he did for the Suns, then this final stretch can be incredibly strong for the Lakers.
In Hayes' case, he was never a double-double machine who was in conversations as a top-10 center in the league like DA. However, he was also a former lottery pick and a five-star recruit in high school, so the talent has always been there.
If Reddick opts for the Lakers to have a more paint-oriented shot diet, not only can Ayton and Hayes eat as scorers, but they can also eat on the glass. If LA is getting more shots at the rim, it means more chances for second-chance points and offensive boards for the bigs.
Recently, Lakers fans have seen two completely different versions of this tandem. One of those dominates elite bigs as they did a week ago against the Cleveland Cavaliers, and another runs from the challenge as they did against Oklahoma City Thunder.
If the Lakers have any glimmer of hope to survive this final stretch without Luka and Reaves, it starts with their men in the middle.