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After a rather tumultuous 2018-19 season, future NBA Hall-of-Fame forward Carmelo Anthony made his triumphant debut with the Portland Trailblazers earlier this week. Even though Anthony was able to score in the double digits, he did so on 4-14 shooting and had a horrific plus-minus of -20 in a loss to the New Orleans Pelicans.
Part of the reason why Anthony's plus-minus was so lopsided was the stout defense by the Pelicans. A defensive unit led by rookie Jaxson Hayes posted an impressive 85.1 defensive rating, and that defense with Hayes on the floor continued to be dominant.
Pels DRTG with Jaxson Hayes on the court the last 3 games https://t.co/AAOl4Znitj pic.twitter.com/Mo3EgPyozI
— Shamit Dua (@FearTheBrown) November 20, 2019
Many Pelicans fans did not expect Hayes to see many minutes in his rookie season, even though he was taken with the eighth overall pick, Hayes was mostly seen as a raw prospect, who would need time to develop as fellow Pelicans first-round pick Zion Williamson dominated on both ends of the floor.
Hayes took a much-less-traveled route to the NBA. According to his high school coach, he was fighting for minutes his junior year of high school, as almost no one expected him to be a top-10 NBA draft pick two years later.
“I'm super proud for Jaxson,” Moeller coach Carl Kremer, who coached Hayes in high school, told WCPO in May. “I've never seen anything quite like it in my coaching career. A kid go from being in your high school and fighting for minutes his junior year to 24 months later being in a situation of being a high draft pick in the NBA.”
Perhaps the reason why Hayes was fighting for minutes his junior year was because he was nearly a foot shorter than he is now. Hayes had an unprecedented 11-inch growth spurt the summer before his freshman year at the University of Texas.
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Similar to NBA rising star Donovan Mitchell, Hayes is familiar with the sports world. Thanks to his parents, he spent a lot of his childhood in locker rooms. His mom, Kristi, was a basketball star at Drake University and his dad, Jonathan, played 12 seasons in the NFL as a tight end for the Kansas City Chiefs and Pittsburgh Steelers.
After acclimating to his 11-inch growth spurt, Hayes blossomed at Texas, where he averaged 10.0 points per game and 5.0 rebounds per game while also recording nearly three stocks (steals+blocks) a game.
His defensive presence and improved play on the offensive end helped him earn a bevy of awards following his freshman year. Hayes was honored as a member of the 2018-19 All-Big 12 team, the Big 12 All-defense team, the Big 12 All-freshman team and being named rookie of the year in the Big 12.
While Hayes' playing time was limited at the beginning of the season, head coach Monty Williams seems to have much more confidence in him.
Jaxon Hayes has made the most of this opportunity for more playing time, as he got a chance to make his first NBA start in a win over the Golden State Warriors.
Hayes scored 10 points and posted a career-high 10 rebounds in 32 minutes of play, and his double-double was even more meaningful since his Dad was in attendance for the game.
Hayes' impact on the Pelicans goes beyond simple stats like points and rebounds. His defensive presence and athleticism prevents opposing guards from driving against, and he has posted a positive plus-minus in each of his last four games, the most recent of which being a +21 in Thursday's win over the Phoenix Suns.
Hayes has proven in his first 10 NBA games that he at the very least has a high floor. He can be more than a capable role player and defensive anchor, and with an improved offensive game, more double doubles for the former Texas Longhorn are inevitable.
