Tag: Jaxson Hayes

Jaxson Hayes arrested, hospitalized after altercation with police

An alleged domestic disturbance results in the a violent altercation between the Pelicans big man and the police.

New Orleans Pelicans center Jaxson Hayes was arrested early Wednesday morning in Los Angeles following an altercation with the police, TMZ reported.

According to TMZ, law enforcement were called to a Los Angeles residence for a domestic disturbance. When the police attempted to enter the home, Hayes got physical with the officers which ultimately ended with Hayes getting tased and sent to the hospital for minor injuries. An officer involved in the incident was also treated for injuries.

Per Andrew Lopez of ESPN, the Pelicans released a statement regarding the situation.

“We have been made aware of the incident involving Jaxson Hayes. We are working in conjunction with the NBA and Jaxson’s representatives to gather more information and will have no further comment at this time.”

2020-21 New Orleans Pelicans Player Review: Jaxson Hayes

In a tale of two halves to the season, Jaxson Hayes started poorly and finished impressively for the Pelicans in 2021.

Like his classmate Nickeil Alexander-Walker, Jaxson Hayes had a season of two halves. After struggling so much in the first half of the year that he fell out of the regular rotation, Hayes played his way back into the mix for the Pelicans, most importantly for the future, back into a valuable piece of New Orleans’ young core.

Stat of the Season

102.9.

In the final 38 games, Hayes was a vital piece of the Pelicans. He started in only two of those games but appeared in 37 of them and had a defensive rating of 102.9 in that span, the best of any rotation player on the team.

Notable Exit Interview Quote

On when things changed this season…

“Being benched, that’s what kind of made things click. It was like I have to make sure I come into work every day and be professional about everything and make sure I’m getting it in every day and getting better. I can only control the things that I can control.”

Overview

If a sophomore slump truly exists, Hayes’ first 34 games can be used as Exhibit A. The big man played in each of the first 16 games, but never could find his place on either end of the court, often floating through games with little impact.

Between Jan. 29 and March 1, a span of 17 games for the Pelicans, Hayes played just seven times and averaged just over 10 minutes per appearance. Through March 1, Hayes’ net rating on the season was a team-worst minus-8.8.

However, after sitting out four straight games, Hayes stepped back into the rotation on March 3 against Chicago, reached double figures in scoring for just the third time on the season.

He was rewarded with consistent minutes and returned the favor with consistent production over the second half of the year.

Outlook

Without putting too much into one sample size of games over the other, it’s hard not to walk away from the season optimistic about Hayes’ future. How optimistic the Pelicans are about him could determine what the team does with Steven Adams moving forward.

It is interesting to note that Hayes’ net rating alongside Zion Williamson was far better than Steven Adams’. In fact, over the final 38 games, Hayes and Williamson played 285 minutes together and had a plus-9.6 net rating.

Regardless if he’s the starter next season, he’s a part of the Pelicans’ future, which is quite a statement to make after how he started the year.

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WATCH: Texas ex Jaxson Hayes may have had the dunk of the year

New Orleans Pelicans center Jaxson Hayes looks like he could be a 2021 candidate for dunk of the year.

New Orleans Pelicans center and former Longhorn Jaxson Hayes has been a rotational piece in his second year in the league, used primarily on defense to grab rebounds and block shots. However, every now and then he gets his chance to score and it goes in 71.7% of the time.

On the season, Hayes’s stat line is modest, although expected. He’s averaging 5.5 points, 3.4 rebounds, .6 assists, .3 steals and .7 blocks per game on his 71.7% shooting as well as 77.4% free throw shooting this year, while only playing 13.5 minutes per game.

If there was ever a time to make a name for himself, it was with him in the starting role, where he happened to throw down what could be a favorite for dunk of the year.

Early in the first quarter against the Atlanta Hawks on Friday, Hayes revived an assist from James Johnson off a steal, leading to a fast break alley-oop.

Hayes would finish the game with 12 points, 4 rebounds and a block on 44.4% shooting through 27 minutes.

Hayes is going to make a name for himself if he gets more minutes like he did on Friday, and certainly with dunks as monstrous as that one.

Pelicans’ Jaxson Hayes delivered the posterization of the year over Reggie Jackson

WOW.

Oh man. OH MANNNNNNNNN.

Los Angeles Clippers guard Reggie Jackson might hear about this one for a while — and young New Orleans Pelicans big man Jaxson Hayes might be celebrating this one for a while.

In the Pels’ win Sunday night over the Clips, Hayes slammed all over Jackson — who tried to take the charge but didn’t get the call — and the video and photos make it a nominee for dunk of the year (I think Anthony Edwards might have this one at the moment, though). At the very least, it’s a posterization of the year front-runner!

Here’s the dunk:

You have to like this quote:

Awesome.

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Pelicans Player Review: Jaxson Hayes’ surprisingly impactful rookie season

After coming into the season without much expectation or fanfare, Jaxson Hayes’ rookie season was surprisingly impactful for the Pelicans.

With the Pelicans season officially over, we begin our look back at each individual player’s season and recap what we learned and where they stand with the Pelicans moving forward.

Overview

As most of the talk coming into the season for the Pelicans surrounded Zion Williamson or the new additions of Lonzo Ball, Brandon Ingram and Josh Hart, Jaxson Hayes was largely able to slide under the radar despite being a top-ten pick. Without the spotlight on him, Hayes developed slowly and, by season’s end, was an intregal part of the Pelicans rotation in the must-win games inside the bubble.

Hayes’ playing time ebbed and flowed depending on the availability of his teammates like Derrick Favors and Williamson but he maintained a role on the team throughout. His play improved so much that it’ll likely lead to some interesting decisions for the Pelicans this off-season as they look to fill the center spot in their starting lineup.

What was learned?

Hayes was very good in two aspects offensively and stuck to essentially those two actions all season. His 117 possessions as a roll man were 37th most in the league, but that accounting for 29.5% of his possessions was the 12th most.

In those possessions, Hayes finished in the 83rd percentile, scoring 1.325 points per possession. It was rather straight forward when he came in: the Pelicans ran a pick and roll, Hayes rolled to the rim and the offense evolved from there.

The second-most common play type for Hayes was cuts, which accounted for 27.5% of his possessions. He finished in the 84th percentile at 1.477 points per possession. Roughly 28% of his remaining possessions came either on offensive putbacks or in transition where he ranked in the 30th and 98th percentile, respectively, in small sample sizes.

Ultimately, this season for Hayes showed that he was capable of playing within himself and playing at a high level in doing so. His acrobatic dunks and energy he brings often brought the team out of its shell on many nights.

For now, his biggest limitation is how limited he is offensively but moreso on the defensive end. As is the case with most young players, there’s a learning curve for big men defensively. Unlike Favors, he can’t anchor a defense quite yet. It’s a maturation process that’ll come with more time in the league.

But his instant impact this seasons means he’ll be ready sooner than not for a bigger role within the team.

What does the future hold?

For now, Hayes’ best role will remain as a backup big man that can bring energy off the bench. Because of his ability to run the pick and roll, he’ll be an incredibly valuable commodity to the Pelicans moving forward for bench units.

That does mean the Pelicans need a starting center option for the short-term. Whether that means they re-sign Favors or bring in another center in free agency, Hayes appears set to take over the role in the future.

Zion Williamson named to All-Rookie First Team, Jaxson Hayes receives votes

Following up his third-place finish for Rookie of the Year, Zion Williamson earned First Team All-Rookie honors while Jaxson Hayes received votes.

On the heels of his third-place finish for Rookie of the Year, Zion Williamson earned a spot on the All-Rookie First Team, the league announced on Tuesday. Ja Morant, who took home Rookie of the Year honors, was the lone unanimous selection.

Miami’s Kendrick Nunn, who finished between Morant and Williamson for Rookie of the Year, earned 98 first-team votes to finish with the second-highest point total. Brandon Clarke, Morant’s teammate at Memphis, had the third-highest total after featuring on all but three ballots.

Williamson earned 87 first-team votes and two second-team votes. Golden State’s Eric Paschall was the final member of the First Team, finishing one point ahead of Miami’s Tyler Herro. Terence Davis of the Raptors, Coby White of the Bulls, PJ Washington of the Hornets and Rui Hachimura of the Wizards rounded out the Second Team.

New Orleans’ Jaxson Hayes was one of eight players to receive votes and not make one of the two teams, earning five second-team votes. After being selected eighth overall in the 2019 NBA Draft, Hayes featured in 62 games for the Pelicans, averaging 7.4 points and 4.0 rebounds in 16.9 minutes per game while shooting 67.2% from the field.

New York’s RJ Barrett, Philadelphia’s Matisse Thybulle, Cleveland’s Darius Garland, Atlanta’s De’Andre Hunter, Denver’s Michael Porter Jr., Phoenix’s Cam Johnson and Charlotte’s Cody Martin all received votes along with Hayes.

Jordan Clarkson, Josh Hart, Jrue Holiday react to Brandon Ingram winning Most Improved Player

After Brandon Ingram was named Most improved Player on Monday, current and former teammates came out in swarms to congratulate him.

Brandon Ingram was officially named the NBA’s Most Improved Player on Monday, an award that many saw coming for much of the year. Ingram’s breakout season included career highs in points, rebounds and assists and an All-Star selection as well.

His journey to New Orleans and this season has been a winding one. After spending three frustrating seasons in Los Angeles, Ingram was dealt to New Orleans in a trade that netted the Lakers Anthony Davis.

But Ingram never wavered in his determination, culminating in Monday’s award. And his hard work hasn’t gone unnoticed as a host of his current and former teammates celebrated him receiving the award on social media.

Josh Hart was certainly the most outspoken, sharing posts on both Twitter and Instagram encouraging Ingram to secure the bag in the coming weeks and months in free agency.

A host of fellow current Pelicans took to Instagram to congratulate Ingram on their stories, including Jrue Holiday, Jahlil Okafor, Jaxson Hayes and Frank Jackson.

JJ Redick also shared a congratulatory tweet with Ingram after their first season together in New Orleans.

Current Pelican teammates weren’t the only ones to rush to congratulate Ingram. Utah’s Jordan Clarkson and Cleveland’s Larry Nance, both former teammates with Ingram in Los Angeles, tweeted messages of support or Ingram.

While Lonzo Ball, arguably Ingram’s closest friend on the Pelicans, did not initially share congratulations for Ingram, no one has a better excuse. Ball was on the Zoom call along with Ingram’s family and Pelicans owner Gayle Benson in which Ingram was told he was named Most Improved Player.

As Hart noted, the award further sets Ingram up for a huge summer as he’s set to enter restricted free agency. His improved play this season likely sets him up for a max contract offer sheet coming in the off-season.

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Derrick Favors says he was impressed with mentality of young Pelicans

After spending a season as a veteran leader with the team, Derrick Favors had high praise for the young New Orleans Pelicans.

Derrick Favors was one of a handful of veterans on the relatively young New Orleans Pelicans team this season, serving as a mentor while also establishing himself on one of the most successful starting fives in the league. In his 10th season in the league, Favors has seen many players come and go in the league.

That adds some credibility to his words on how impressed he was by the mentality of the young players on the Pelicans, which he discussed during the team’s final week in the bubble.

“I saw throughout the year the way they prepare themselves for the game mentally and physically, how they approach adversity early in the season with Zion being hurt and us losing 13 games in a row,” he said. “I just continued to see them grow…Hopefully, they can continue to learn, continue to grow and that can transfer over to next season.”

Much has been rightfully made about Brandon Ingram, Lonzo Ball and even Josh Hart’s development. However, not nearly as much has been made about the Pelicans’ own draft picks and the leaps they made this season.

Despite being a top-ten pick, many saw Jaxson Hayes as more of a long-term project. However, after coming along slowly early in the season, Hayes hit his stride and was playing big, rotational minutes inside the bubble by season’s end. Nickeil Alexander-Walker showed flashes throughout the season of his scoring ability and capped the year off with 29 points in the regular season finale.

Because of the mentality of all of the young players, the Pelicans find themselves in a great spot heading into the future.

WATCH: Jaxson Hayes’ monster dunk against the Washington Wizards

In the Pelicans’ game against the Washington Wizards on Friday night, former Longhorn Jaxson Hayes threw down a ferocious slam dunk.

If there is one thing that has been going right in the sports world, it is the NBA bubble. One of the most exciting young teams in Orlando has been the New Orleans Pelicans and their push towards the playoffs.

Former Texas Longhorn and rookie Jaxson Hayes has been apart of the youth in New Orleans, becoming a solid role player off the bench. His size and length, combined with his athleticism make him a threat around the entire court.

In the Pelicans’ game against the Washington Wizards on Friday night, Hayes threw down a ferocious slam dunk, something we are getting used to seeing.

With time winding down in the first quarter, Hayes ran a pick and roll with guard Frank Jackson. The 6’11 ex-Longhorn picked up the ball at the elbow, took a dribble, then caused havoc on the rim.

You can watch the dunk from all kinds of angles here:

Since the NBA’s restart, Hayes has been averaging 4.8 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 1.0 assists per game.

As a team, the Pelicans are 2-3 in the bubble and are currently 2.5 games back of the Memphis Grizzlies for the eighth seed in the Western Conference.

Hayes will have to continue to make impact plays for New Orleans to stay in Orlando.

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How to watch Bol Bol, Nuggets’ scrimmage vs. Jaxson Hayes, Pelicans

Bol Bol and the Nuggets return to action on Saturday night in their second scrimmage game ahead of the season restart against the Pelicans.

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Bol Bol and the Denver Nuggets return to action on Saturday night in their second scrimmage game ahead of the season restart this month against the New Orleans Pelicans.

Bol made his unofficial Nuggets debut on Wednesday, recording 16 points, 10 rebounds and six blocked shots in an 89-82 win over the Washington Wizards. Bol logged 32 minutes in the contest and showed little rust in the Nuggets’ first scrimmage game.

The Nuggets will face the Pelicans without No. 1 overall pick Zion Williamson. The team announced on Friday that Williamson rejoined the team at the Walt Disney World Resort after leaving to attend to an urgent family matter.

Williamson will have to undergo a mandatory four-day quarantine period, as determined by the NBA, upon rejoining the Pelicans at Disney. He will miss Saturday night’s scrimmage but will likely be cleared in time to play when the Pelicans kick off the season restart on Thursday.

The scrimmage game between the Nuggets and Pelicans will tip-off at 8:30 p.m. ET and can be streamed on Pelicans.com and on Altitude Sports.

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