While the Pelicans proved to be no match for the Lakers, rookie Jaxson Hayes had a couple of impressive highlights.
Anthony Davis tallied 46 points and 13 rebounds on Friday night as the Los Angeles Lakers easily took care of business against his former team at Staples Center.
The New Orleans Pelicans led only twice during the 123-113 loss and trailed by as many as 24 points in the game as Brandon Ingram, Lonzo Ball and Josh Hart each returned to L.A. for the first time since being traded over the offseason.
Ball scored a team-high 23 points in the loss while Ingram added 22 points and Hart had five. While the Pelicans proved to be no match for the Lakers, rookie Jaxson Hayes helped keep the team energized early on after throwing down a highlight-reel dunk and by blocking JaVale McGee.
Hayes finished with just six points, three rebounds, three assists and one block on Friday. Hayes has not scored in double digits since recording 13 points on Dec. 17. Though Hayes hasn’t been much of a factor on offense, the rookie is still capable of adding some highlight-reel plays on a nightly basis.
A matchup with the New Orleans Pelicans has the makings of a big game for Brooklyn Nets center Jarrett Allen.
The last time the Brooklyn Nets faced the New Orleans Pelicans, Zion Williamson was on the sideline, having just undergone arthroscopic surgery to repair his torn right lateral meniscus. The Nets also had Kyrie Irving and Caris LeVert, who dropped 39 and 23 points, respectively, in Brooklyn’s 135-125 win at Barclays Center on November 4.
Williamson will be at Tuesday’s tilt down on the bayou, so will LeVert, but neither of them will be suiting up. (Irving won’t even be in attendance. He and Kevin Durant are not traveling with the team on their two-game road trip.)
As much as the Pelicans have been one of the most disappointing teams in the NBA through the first eight weeks of the season, Brooklyn isn’t guaranteed to have an easy time at Smoothie King Center (as much as that sounds like the name of a theme park, not a professional sports stadium).
Now, JJ Redick (left groin soreness) is also out, per the Pelicans. That helps. But if you’ve caught a glimpse of Jrue Holiday you know he’s got as much fight in him as anyone.
By no means does that mean Holiday has the edge over Spencer Dinwiddie. He’s just not going to back down. Talent plus determination is always a scary combination.
Then there’s New Orleans’ leading scorer, Brandon Ingram. A solid test for Taurean Prince and Wilson Chandler. Maybe Garrett Temple, as well. But he won’t beat the Nets on his own. Ingram needs Holiday.
The forward also needs either Lonzo Ball or Josh Hart, the latter of which can be a pest at times. (Hart is also good for a solid gif everyone so often. So DeAndre Jordan needs to be prepared.)
Credit: Nicole Sweet-USA TODAY Sports
If anyone is going to have a big night for Brooklyn, besides Dinwiddie, it should be Jarrett Allen. He failed to get into double figures against the Toronto Raptors on Saturday and did so again in Brooklyn’s matchup with the Philadelphia 76ers on Sunday
So, Allen is due. Additionally, he should eat Jaxon Hayes’ lunch every time they share the floor (same goes for Jordan). That’s not to say Allen won’t do well against Derrick Favors — he absolutely should — but going up against Hayes is the type of matchup Allen should dominate every time (two reasons being he nearly has a 40-pound advantage and Hayes is a rookie).
Rookie Wire takes a look at the top rookies through the seventh week of the 2019-20 NBA season.
Memphis Grizzlies point guard Ja Morant recently returned after missing four games due to back soreness after crashing into a courtside camera operator.
With Zion Williamson out following knee surgery, the top of the rookie class took a hit over the past week with Morant out of the lineup and R.J. Barrett struggling to stay consistent.
Of course, Morant returned on Monday night to lead the Grizzlies to a win over the Golden State Warriors. He recorded a team-high 26 points in that game and reasserted himself as the top rookie to this point of the season.
As Morant showed so signs of slowing down following his injury, some other rookies are beginning to pick up steam as the NBA begins the second quarter of the season.
Rookie Wire will compile the rankings of the five best players each week based on how they performed on the court. The rankings are not for Rookie of the Year purposes but, rather, to illustrate the top-performing players.
Here are the Rookie Wire Power Rankings for Week 7:
All stats are through games played on Dec. 10
5. De’Andre Hunter, Hawks
Stats: 12.8 points, 4 rebounds, 1.9 assists
Rank Last Week: Honorable Mention
Speaking of pick up steam, Hawks rookie De’Andre Hunter has burst onto the scene over the past few weeks. Hunter recorded a career-high 28 points on Tuesday night in an overtime loss to the Miami Heat as he shot an efficient 11-of-17 from the field. Hunter recently dealt with a dislocated right index finger but showed no signs of any issues on Tuesday night. Hunter is up to seventh in rookie scoring this season but is averaging 14.5 points per game over his six games, good for sixth-best over that time period.
After struggling with his consistency, Hachimura has quietly strung together quite a few impressive performances. The ninth overall pick has scored in double figures in seven straight games and is averaging 19.6 points over that span, the most among all rookies. Of course, that streak includes a career-high 30 points against the Los Angeles Clippers on Dec. 1 and a 27-point performance two games later against the Philadelphia 76ers. The rookie appears to be finally finding his way with the Wizards and it has led to some improved play as of late.
As the Warriors struggle, Paschall is coming off of his worst outing of the season. The second-round pick recorded a season-low five points on Monday, snapping a streak of 13 consecutive games scoring in double figures. Paschall still leads the rookie class in total points scored, just topping Kendrick Nunn and Ja Morant. Paschall has thrived in isolation situations this season and has used his size and strength to get to the basket. He is having a strong rookie campaign to this point and now has the second-highest odds to win the Rookie of the Year award as a result.
The undrafted rookie reclaims the second spot in our rankings after a monster performance on Tuesday against the Hawks. Nunn recorded a career-high 36 points, finishing 14-of-26 from the field while adding six rebounds and four assists. Nunn is averaging 19 points over the past week as he appears to have broken out of a recent slump that saw him post 10.5 points over a four-game stretch. He is now just one of four rookies to record at least 30 points in a game this season, joining Eric Paschall, Ja Morant and Rui Hachimura.
As previously mentioned, Morant returned on Monday after a four-game absence to lead the Grizzlies with 26 points in the win over the Warriors. Morant showed no signs of any lingering back issues during the game and fooled a number of Warriors players on a nifty pass fake for an easy bucket. The Grizzlies likely held Morant out to fully heal as the injury was not considered to be serious but it was certainly a plus to have Morant back out on the court Monday night.
Herro had back-to-back performances of at least 20 points over the weekend but followed that up by going scoreless Tuesday night in 23 minutes of action. Herro is tied with R.J. Barrett for fifth in scoring among rookies but his zero-point outing against the Hawks shouldn’t be a cause for concern moving forward.
Washington hit a bit of a wall toward the end of November but has come on strong for the Hornets since then. He is averaging 14.9 points and 4.4 rebounds over his last eight games, including a 20-point performance against the Hawks on Sunday. Perhaps most impressive in that outing is Washington got to the free-throw line 13 times, converting on 12 shots.
Reddish is fifth in scoring among all rookies over the last week, averaging 14.7 points while shooting 50% (7-of-14) from 3-point range. Reddish had a career-high 25 points on Dec. 4 as he continues to flash his potential this season.
Hayes is finding consistent playing time now and is producing as a result. He is averaging 11.8 points, 5.8 rebounds and 1.6 blocks in five December games and has scored in double figures in three straight games for the first time this season.
Thybulle recorded a career-high 20 points on Sunday and followed that up with 13 points Tuesday night against the Denver Nuggets. He is shooting 52.9% (9-of-17) from 3-point range over his last four games as he appears to be settling in with the Sixers.
Shout Out:
Luguentz Dort, Thunder
After beginning the season in the G League with the OKC Blue, Dort has spent the past three games in the NBA with the Thunder. He recorded his first bucket on Sunday and had nine points on Monday night.
Jaxson Hayes and Ja Morant were among the rookies to see a change in their latest NBA 2K20 rating.
New Orleans Pelicans center Jaxson Hayes and Memphis Grizzlies guard Ja Morant were among the first-year players to receive a ratings bump in the latest ‘NBA 2K20′ update released on Friday.
After a few strong performances, Hayes’ overall rating increased by two from 74 to 76 in the latest update. He is averaging 10.6 points, 6.2 rebounds and 1.6 blocks over his last five games.
Meanwhile, Morant saw his rating increase by one from 82 to 83 despite missing the last three games for the Grizzlies with back spasms after crashing into a baseline camera operator on Nov. 25.
As Hayes and Morant each saw their rating increase, several other rookies received changes in their overall mark:
R.J. Barrett: 78 (-1)
Brandon Clarke: 80 (+2)
Terence Davis: 76 (+2)
Rui Hachimura: 78 (+1)
Eric Paschall: 80 (+1)
After the latest ratings update, the top five rookies in the NBA are:
Ja Morant: 83
Zion Williamson: 81
Brandon Clarke: 80
Eric Paschall: 80
Rui Hachimura: 78
The updated top five ratings among rookies likely isn’t a surprise to many as those players, with the exception of Williamson, have been among the top first-year players this season.
Former Texas Longhorn Jaxson Hayes threw it down with ferocity in the New Orleans Pelicans’ matchup with the Phoenix Suns
Wow, Jaxson Hayes. He really just doesn’t quit. Since his time at Texas up to now, his rookie season in the NBA, Hayes won’t stop putting opponents on posters. His latest victim is Cheik Diallo during the New Orleans Pelicans’ close loss to the Phoenix Suns. Hayes brought his head above the rim and soared to the basket, throwing it down with ferocity – Diallo just happened to be in his way.
Hayes finished the game with 17 points and 5 rebounds in 33 minutes of play. He averaged 10 points, 5 rebounds, and 2.2 blocks in his only season at Texas. Check out the demoralizing poster here:
In his first game back, Carmelo Anthony tried to posterize Jaxson Hayes but his shot attempt was blocked by the rookie.
After officially signing a one-year, non-guaranteed contract with the Portland Trail Blazers, 16-year NBA veteran Carmelo Anthony made his debut with his new team Tuesday night against the New Orleans Pelicans.
Just after joining the Trail Blazers, Anthony was in the starting lineup as it was reported he was scheduled to play about 20 minutes or so in his first game. Anthony missed his first shot attempt less than a minute into the game but drained a 3-pointer on the next possession for his first bucket with the Trail Blazers.
Anthony recorded five points in the first quarter on 2-of-4 shooting from the field and even tried his hand at a poster dunk. A few minutes into the second period, Anthony drove the ball to the rim but was met by Jaxson Hayes. The Pelicans rookie quickly slid over to contest the attempt perfectly, rejecting the shot by Anthony.
Anthony finished with 10 points on 4-of-14 shooting from the field, including 2-of-3 from 3-point range in 23 minutes of work as the Trail Blazers lost, 115-104.
Of course, after not playing in the NBA for over a year, Anthony was certainly going to have some rust.
He will need to continue to work on his conditioning but it may not take long for the future Hall of Famer to get his game speed back.
Jaxson Hayes also had a strong showing on the defensive end, recording two chase-down blocks on the opposition.
New Orleans Pelicans rookie Jaxson Hayes recorded a double-double with 10 points and 10 rebounds in his first career start Sunday night in a 108-100 win over the Golden State Warriors.
Hayes finished 3-of-5 from the field while he also added three blocks and a steal in 32 minutes of work. The eighth overall pick flashed his defensive potential on the court after having a couple of nice, chase-down blocks, nearly reminiscent to the iconic block by LeBron James in Game 7 of the NBA Finals.
Hayes has now scored in double figures in two straight games for the first time this season after recording 12 points Saturday night against the Miami Heat. On the season, Hayes is shooting 68.9% from the field and has rarely forced things so far, staying within his game on offense.
Jaxson put on a show and flashed some serious potential in his first NBA start! pic.twitter.com/ZIGDkSp2qB
In a season in which Zion Williamson has not yet debuted, the Pelicans have received solid play for their other two first-round picks in Hayes and Nickeil Alexander-Walker. The team appears to have a bright future that will certainly only get better once the No. 1 overall pick returns to the court.
The Pelicans return to action Tuesday night against the Portland Trail Blazers.
