JJ Redick once again put his guard up when his selection choices were scrutinized, but Jaxson Hayes delivered a great rebuttal.
The Los Angeles Lakers‘ season has come to an end. The third seed in the Western Conference lost Game 5 at home to the Minnesota Timberwolves, closing the series out 4-1.
The pressure of the playoff stage had started to get to JJ Redick. Prior to the game, Redick stormed out of a press conference when a reporter questioned his tactics.
Lakers fans are understandably upset about the way their team played. Magic Johnson made the point that the lack of a center cost the Lakers a win.
The Lakers did try to land a center in Mark Williams, but a failed medical caused them to back out of the deal. Williams got the last laugh on the Lakers. But Redick isn’t ready to admit his mistake just yet.
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JJ Redick stands by Lakers’ small-ball approach
Speaking after Game 5, JJ Redick was asked by a reporter about his decision not to play Jaxson Hayes. Hayes had done well in the wake of Anthony Davis‘ departure.
But in the playoffs, Redick opted to play without a center, as he felt Hayes didn’t have the offensive tools to help them.
And he noted after the game that playing without a center comes with a trade-off, while not elaborating on what exactly he meant.
“There’s a trade-off. There is always a trade-off. You can say, ‘Oh, play a center.’ We couldn’t score. So, there is a trade-off to everything.”
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Jaxson Hayes shows good attitude in response
Jaxson Hayes also spoke about not getting plenty of minutes during the playoffs. Rather than take digs at Redick, Hayes played the good soldier, noting that he wanted to stay ready for the coaches.
“They told me, straight-up, just to stay ready. They were going to try some other things out. It’s the coaches’ decision, so I respect that always.”
Hayes gave a far more diplomatic answer than LeBron James, who brought up Anthony Davis’ previous demands for a center.
The Lakers’ lack of center was a glaring weakness. And playing against a four-time Defensive Player of the Year in Rudy Gobert, that weakness turned out to be the final nail in their coffin.
