Jaxson Hayes on Sports of All Sorts

Tonight on Sports of All Sorts, a sit-down interview with @hayes_jaxson as he prepares for his rookie season in the #NBA, plus the Summer League that made him famous. Here's a preview: @WCPO @MothersJournal @LetsGoBigMoe @PelicansNBA pic.twitter.com/qWgg2gEfRq

— Keenan Singleton (@KJMSingleton) July 22, 2019

As the title suggests: Hayes was featured in a sit down interview with Keenan Singleton to talk about everything that's happened since the college season ended, the start of his transition to the NBA, his Summer League experience, and all that good stuff.

I'll see if I can catch the interview when I can and throw up a transcript if there's anything new or interesting featured in it. Just from the clip, it sounds like there might be a few interested tidbits.

Full interview:

1. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D-Xz...ature=youtu.be

2. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XdBQ...ature=youtu.be

Quote:

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Originally Posted by AUSSIE_PELICAN

Full interview:

1.

2.

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Thank you buddy!

Transcript of key moments in the videos. As always, questions are paraphrased, answers are close to verbatim:

When you were drafted, over 200 people from your high school were watching together at a draft party. What does that support mean to you?

''Yeah, it's definitely great. I mean, really, everywhere at home now, everybody just shows love which is really awesome. I mean, you've gotta love everybody at home because they've always been there, they were the first people I ever knew.

How was draft night for you? Nerve-wracking, or were you just having fun, knowing your life was going to change?

''Draft night was really like... Uh... I really got anxious, really anxious, I was just sitting there like 'when's my name gonna be called, when's my name gonna be called', I had no idea what was going to happen, but when I got called it was just great. I was really happy, my whole family was there with me.

What was it like walking up on stage when you were drafted, were you worried about tripping over or anything like that?

''Yup, yup, a thousand things running through your head. Don't trip, make sure you're looking good, make sure you put the hat on the right way. I kinda messed up with my hair, if I'm being honest.''

You get drafted by the Hawks, then the news drops that you're going to New Orleans. What was that like? You get a taste of the business really quick, right?

''Well, really when they called my name I knew it was New Orleans because my agent had told me, so I was kinda expecting New Orleans, so I didn't really think about Atlanta at all. So it was good.''

What was it like being in limbo after the draft up into Summer League, where you know who you're going to play with, you know which city you're going to be in, but you can't play because the trade isn't official yet?

''That was really annoying, if I'm being honest with you. I went out to LA and I just could only work out with my trainer out there and when I got there, to Vegas, we couldn't even practise with the team, we had to just stand there watching. We, we, uh, me and the two other draft picks, Nickeil and Didi, could practise by ourselves in a high school gym, away from everybody else, with just like, three coaches in there. That was it, so that was really annoying but you know, it is what it is and... yeah.''

When you finally got to play in Summer League, you shut the whole thing down with that dunk. Tell us about that.

''Well, I didn't get to see the dunk until after so I just thought it was like... I knew I dunked on the guy, but I didn't know it was that bad. When I actually saw the video after, I was like ''dang... this is getting out of hand, this is crazy''. So I checked my Instagram and I was tagged in like, 200 videos, gained around 40 thousand followers, it was crazy.''

What are your personal goals heading into your rookie year?

''Just help the team win. We have a few older guys coming in that can help us a lot too, so just learning from them, trying to play to the best of my ability in the time I get.''

Are you happy that some of those other guys will take some of the attention off you?

''I'm definitely happy, like, so after the first game, me and Zion were sitting on the bus and at the hotel there's always a bunch of people when you get off the bus and there was about 70 people just waiting there after that game. He goes, ''dude, those are all for you, after that dunk'', and I'm like ''...no they're not''. And I walked straight in the hotel, nobody called my name, everyone went straight for Zion.''

So even after all of that, it's straight Zion?

''Yep, and I am 100% fine with that.''

This will be your first time going down to New Orleans. What do you know about it?

''I know there's alligators, there's swamps, and there's a lot of really good food. [interviewer mentions gumbo, and asks if he's an adventurous eater], Oh yeah, and I love seafood too. So I'm definitely excited to get down there and try out some food.''

Getting tired of paper analyst and calling Hayes just an elite rim runner. They look at his jumpshot stats and be like.
. "Oh, he can't shot. He's just a Rim runner like Capela."

No, he has a shot. He can easily develop a 10 ft jump game in the future. It's just that he is stupid efficient at the rim that makes it silly to make him use it. When you finish 80% of your shot at the rim. If you wanna take a 40% shoot. Use your Shooters to do that in Summer League. No one gonna wanna him bog down his efficiency when they do not have.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Taker597

Getting tired of paper analyst and calling Hayes just an elite rim runner. They look at his jumpshot stats and be like.
. "Oh, he can't shot. He's just a Rim runner like Capela."

No, he has a shot. He can easily develop a 10 ft jump game in the future. It's just that he is stupid efficient at the rim that makes it silly to make him use it. When you finish 80% of your shot at the rim. If you wanna take a 40% shoot. Use your Shooters to do that in Summer League. No one gonna wanna him bog down his efficiency when they do not have.

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The thing about it is that Hayes is an elite rim runner. Right now. It's just weird that people seem to cap out his ceiling at what he already is, when he has so much other potential.

Player comparisons are bad in general but we've seen some top tier trash ones recently. On draft night, Chauncey Billups was pushing that Hayes is Tyson Chandler and that Rui Hachimura was Kawhi Leonard.

Now, no insult to Chandler or Kawhi, but Hayes and Rui play NOTHING like them. Whatsoever.

Jaxson Hayes being 7 foot and struggling with suitcases like the rest of us is hilarious pic.twitter.com/2OXEdtnMNl

— Shamit Dua (@FearTheBrown) August 16, 2019