After dropping a season-high 19 points, Jaxson Hayes dropped some truth bombs in the press conference. The backup center’s statement apparently put more pressure on the starting big Deandre Ayton, whose night ended prematurely.

Speaking to the reporters, Hayes started by taking accountability for the loss. “Felt like it was more than I could have done on the defensive end.” Then he was asked about his role tonight, where he played 27 minutes, more than his season average of 17.5 minutes.

“It’s fun, I mean I like the challenge. That’s the competitive nature of us players. If you don’t like the challenge, then why are you here?”

This statement, although it never mentions Deandre Ayton, comes at a time when adaptability issues have surrounded the Lakers center.

Ayton’s role has been a big conundrum for his teams. He is not a shot blocker nor an enforcer around the rim. The Lakers are yet another team that is slowly finding it out the hard way. Against the Nuggets, Deandre Ayton was ruled out after five minutes due to a knee injury, where he went scoreless with two rebounds. So, the head coach had to play the backup center.

Jaxson Hayes even answered if he is ready for more opportunities, since there is no timeline for Ayton’s return. “Yeah, I mean, I always, that’s my job. That’s what they pay me to do. Stay ready. Even if I wasn’t in the rotation, they pay me to stay ready. So I’m going to just do whatever the team needs me to do tomorrow.”

Denver led 16-3 in the first quarter with Ayton on the floor. Without him, the Lakers outscored the Nuggets 51-48 and matched the Nuggets 32-32 in the second quarter. With great performance against the Pelicans and a season high against the Nuggets, Hayes finds more support.

Jaxson Hayes’ supporters increase inside the locker room

In the win over New Orleans, Redick opted to close the game with Hayes, choosing him over the Lakers’ other center option, Deandre Ayton. Hayes validated it by producing “multiple stops” against Zion Williamson. Just two days prior, he blocked Zion Williamson at the rim in a crucial isolation play with 7:24 remaining. He also drew a charge on Zion on a subsequent possession and then forced an airball from Trey Murphy III, directly leading to an Austin Reaves lead-changing 3-pointer.

Since the head coach clearly saw the change, he had no problem trusting Jaxson Hayes against Nikola Jokic and the Nuggets. “Well, very confident. I thought he was terrific tonight. He played basically 28 minutes, and you know that that was a lot for him. I think not having Maxi tonight actually really hurt us. Particularly with DA out. But Jaxson, you know, I definitely have confidence in him.”

Similarly, locker room leader Luka Doncic was pleased that he had a threat on his team who could finish his pass. “I always say I love playing with Jaxson, you know. I think this year his improvement is unbelievable. Just playing with him, he understands this year even more how to play with me. So playing with him is very special for me.”

With Hayes being ready for any opportunity and Ayton’s complaints about his role, one can feel the shift in the Lakers team. If the performances continue for Hayes, then JJ Redick will have to offer the starting center spot.