Jaxson Hayes urges Lakers to keep filling gaps as injuries persist
jaxson-hayes-urges-lakers-to-keep-filling-gaps-as-injuries-persist
Los Angeles Lakers center Jaxson Hayes said the team must continue relying on its depth while key players recover, noting the club has appeared at full strength only twice this season.
“It takes almost 70 games for a team to really find its identity,” Hayes told reporters after practice at Crypto.com Arena. “We’ve played two games with our full rotation, so it’s hard to figure out who we are. We just have to keep playing hard and do what we’ve got to do.”
The Lakers have been without multiple regulars for extended stretches. Superstars Luka Doncic, LeBron James and Austin Reaves have all missed time, while Rui Hachimura and Gabe Vincent remain sidelined. Hayes recently returned from a minor injury, and wing Jake LaRavia is the only player to appear in every game.
Head coach JJ Redick has shuffled lineups in search of consistency, leaning on role players such as Jarred Vanderbilt, Maxi Kleber and rookie guard Nick Smith Jr. “We’ve had a bunch of guys step up whenever we’ve needed them to, and they’ve killed it,” Hayes said. “We just have to keep it up.”
Los Angeles has dropped four of its last five contests — all by double digits — heading into the new year. Redick acknowledged that the ongoing injuries have delayed the process of establishing an identity, but emphasized that the responsibility to compete remains unchanged.
Source: Lakers Nation
