Pelicans center Jaxson Hayes was ultimately able to benefit after head coach Stan Van Gundy made him the third-string center in February, writes Christian Clark of NOLA.com.
“Just being benched,” Hayes said. “That’s what made things click. I got to make sure I come to work every day and make sure I’m professional about everything. Just make sure I’m getting it in every day, getting better and just only controlling the things I can control.”
As Clark writes, after Hayes returned to his role as chief reserve center behind starter Steven Adams in March, he went on to provide stellar defense while averaging 9.6 PPG (on 61.7% shooting from the floor), 4.8 RPG and 0.8 BPG across just 18.5 MPG.
There’s more out of the Southwest Division:
- William Guillory of The Athletic estimates that there’s about a 40-50% chance of Lonzo Ball sticking with the Pelicans in restricted free agency. Guillory is more confident that Ball’s fellow RFA-to-be Josh Hart (60-70%) will be back
- Now that their offseason has officially commenced, the Grizzlies could begin reshaping their roster around star point guard Ja Morant and promising big man Jaren Jackson Jr., writes Chris Herrington of the Daily Memphian. Morant took his play to the next level during Memphis’ series against Utah, averaging 30 PPG (on 49% field goal shooting), 8 APG, and 5 RPG. Though Morant is still honing his defense and outside shooting, he showed off his brilliance as a ball handler and interior scorer, Herrington contends. Assessing the long-term fits of Morant’s supporting cast, including Jackson, Dillon Brooks, Desmond Bane, Grayson Allen, De’Anthony Melton, and veteran center Jonas Valanciunas, Herrington suggests that Morant and Jackson may be the only two guaranteed mainstays on the roster.
- Though the West’s fifth-seeded Mavericks have the fourth-seeded Clippers on the ropes with a 3-2 advantage in the two teams’ first-round rematch, the team is wary of celebrating too early, per Brad Townsend of the Dallas Morning News.
Brutal, brutal loss for Dame & Co. Blazers will be one to watch this offseason.
CJ on the move for sure this time around. Can’t run it back. Simons will have to step into a larger role. Powell probably will get a lucrative deal elsewhere. Time to deal Nurkic, just not durable enough.
When they blow it up, will they go with a youth movement tho is the question.
Grizzlies won’t trade Brooks – he’s too good. They’ve got their three stars.
Absolutely! And they have a smart front office who will develop players like Bane and continue to make savvy moves in the draft, signings and trades.
The Griz have seen better writing. Not sure why they have to be dealing, or what the “core four” is. Is there a GM rule of thumb about assigning a core of four for trading everyone BUT them?
Lecture alert…
People who talk about who should be dealt often ignore the indifference of other GMs to acquire those players. Other GMs know offense improves and team defense declines with Greyson Allen in. His value declines, and some point, it makes no sense to trade a player that returns no value, just a new guy to get used to.
You want your players to buy in, not keep one foot out because of something he read.
No one ever doubted that DAL would beat the LAC, right?
I was celebrating before game 1!!!
Luka is better than PG13 and Kawhi together!
I’ll cover myself and say that the West was so hard to predict !! I had either the Lakers or the Clippers coming out of the West but the conference is sure proving to be very competitive. Even now does anyone know who’s coming out and representing the West in the finals? I think not. Still up for grabs for any of the five teams.
As I mentioned two weeks ago the only no-brainer is Brooklyn coming out of the East. The West, a different story and I love it. Every game is exciting to watch.
Please allow me to add this other note. Does Kawhi Leonard playing like crap at times prove that coaching is huge? In San Antonio and Toronto he got it done. With the Clippers, not so much.
Hayes was outplayed all year by Willy H. Adams was useless