LOS ANGELES – During the Los Angeles Lakers’ 130-120 win against the Miami Heat last Sunday, Jaxson Hayes hit his first three-point shot of the season, off his only attempt thus far. Hayes was spotting up at the top of the arc when he caught a pass from Austin Reaves, stepped into his shot and calmly knocked it down.
Since joining the Lakers two seasons ago, Jaxson Hayes hasn’t been known as a three-point shooter. Since 2023, he’s taken only 12 attempts total, and prior to this season he was 0-of-11. But that hasn’t always been the case. Following the win against the Heat, Hayes was quick to point out that he used to shoot more three-pointers earlier in his NBA career, and that he would like to take more three-pointers with the Lakers.
“I’m really comfortable taking that shot. Back in New Orleans I played the four and we made the playoffs and I was shooting like two a game,” Hayes said. “That was a shot in rhythm. I work on that a lot so I just shot it.”
During the 2021-22 season with the New Orleans Pelicans, and Hayes’ third in the league, he took 57 three-point shots and converted on 20 of them, finishing at a 35.1 percent clip. That was the year the Pelicans made the playoffs with Hayes starting in all six postseason games.
The year before that, Hayes shot his best career percentage from the three-point line at 42.9 percent. He took only 14 three-point attempts that year and knocked down six of them. In 2022-23 Hayes would take 29 long-range attempts, converting on three of them.
But since Hayes has joined the Lakers, he’s been used primarily as a lob threat, especially with the arrival of Luka Doncic whom he’s formed a solid pick and roll connection with. But if the Heat game was any indication. Hayes is ready to knock down three-pointers as need be.
The Lakers have battled through injuries this season, and Hayes himself was sidelined briefly due to a knee injury. But he’s since returned to the lineup and has provided has provided his usual energy off the bench.
Hayes has appeared in six games so far, including one start, at a little over 18 minutes per game. He’s averaged 6.0 points, 4.5 rebounds and 1.8 assists while shooting 76.2 percent shooting from the field. Hayes was an unrestricted free agent this past offseason, but chose to re-sign with the Lakers even after a disappointing ending amid the team’s elimination in the opening round of the NBA Playoffs.
