Anthony Davis carried the Los Angeles Lakers to the Western Conference Finals this year. Despite the way the last season ended, the LA side is happy with their off-season endeavors. Moreover, they acquired quality players like Gabe Vincent, Cam Reddish, and Taurean Prince for the next season. However, the team still has a place for the 14th member in the roster open and is looking for a center that can take some pressure off Anthony Davis.
Hence, Rob Pelinka is looking for a big man like Christian Wood or Mo Bamba who can fit well alongside Davis. But the Lakers have not yet found someone as experienced as AD to take the center position. Therefore, the Lakers Nation can hope to see a young new member of the team get the role. In the hope of that, GM Rob Pelinka signed Jaxson Hayes, 23, for a two-year contract with a veteran’s minimum deal. Initially, everybody thought that the Lakers might use him as a center coming off the bench. However, there is a chance that Hayes get a more significant role.
Jaxson Hayes Can Take The Place Of Anthony Davis
Fans have been voicing about Anthony Davis playing at center almost the whole time he has been with the Lakers. But they got their wish last season when AD played as the center. As per Cleaning The Glass, he played the role of the center for 99% of the time he was on the court. Needless to say, Anthony Davis did a remarkable job. However, it might change drastically next season. ESPN’s Dave McMenamin mentioned that he thinks the Lakers can have Jaxson Hayes in the starting lineup as center. But that does not mean Anthony Davis won’t appear as the center. He will in the second half. That’s the time to win.
Albeit, it is just a theory as the teams don’t chalk out iron-clad plans so soon. However, McMenamin is not totally baseless. The ESPN analyst went on to say that Anthony Davis mentioned several times that he is not a fan of maxing out his time at the five. He likes a big man alongside him for rim protection reasons. It is essential to see that AD’s body does not take too much stress and pressure. The Los Angeles Lakers management looked after what Anthony Davis needed. They acquired Jaxson Hayes. Moreover, Rob Pelinka and Darvin Ham assured Anthony Davis that they heard him.
After A Humiliating WCF, The Lakers Managed To Keep The Core Together
Initially, the Lakers were in no position to make the postseason. But around the mid-season, the front office brought reinforcements to help the team have a different culture in the locker room. The new players brought balance to the roster and made the Lakers look like a championship-winning team. Despite multiple injuries to key players, the Lakers shocked the world as they reached the WCF. However, their campaign ended horribly in the conference finals.
The eventual new champions Denver Nuggets, blew them away in four games. But the LA side did a fantastic job in the following offseason. They had a lot of pressure on their shoulders. Since key players like Austin Reaves, Rui Hachimura, and D’Angelo Russell were all heading toward free agency. Unlike Reaves and Hachimura, Russell was an unrestricted free agent. But the Lakers managed to extend all their contracts for multiple years.
