Prior to the draft, there was no player I wanted the Pelicans to take more than Hayes (with the exception of the possibility that Barrett would fall to #4). He was the guy that I believed made the most sense considering the young pieces the Pelicans already had in place and the upcoming selection of Zion Williamson. So I was thrilled that the Pelicans were able to select him and add other pieces as well through Griffin's deft handling of the draft.
The thing that really gets me pumped though is not what Hayes can be for the team in the 2019-2020 season, but what he will become after gaining some weight, strength and knowledge of the NBA game. I was watching some highlights of some other NBA centers and the comparisons were stark. Guys who are considered to be among the NBA's best don't have athleticism that comes close to Hayes. One clip of Jokic I watched had a guy raving over his "thunderous" dunk, but it really wasn't anything special and was actually just a slam accomplished through spacing and size. Jokic is kind of lumbering by comparison.
I believe that with time spent in the weight room and with nutritional guidance from the training staff, Hayes will gain "good weight" and strength to add to his already impressive athleticism and motor. He is a perfect fit for Gentry's offense IMO and has the potential to become a special player with time and experience. While it can't happen overnight, I think Hayes has all-NBA in his future and I am excited to see him develop.
The potential of Jaxson Hayes
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08-01-2019, 05:55 AMMount ZionThe potential of Jaxson Hayes
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08-01-2019, 06:33 PMPelicanidae
I was very excited after drafting Hayes as well. I had him as a top 3 centre prospect in this draft (second overall, after Brandon Clarke), and the one with the biggest long term upside (Clarke is much older than Hayes as a rookie, and doesn't have the physical gifts in terms of height, length, and fluidity).
I don't think comparing Hayes to Jokic is a great idea overall. I see where you're coming from: yeah, Hayes is FAR more athletic, fluid, and faster than Jokic is. But by the same metric, Jokic's IQ and passing feel is likely better than Hayes' will ever be: Jokic may be the best 7 foot passer in league history. So it's like, yeah, Hayes completely dwarfs Jokic in these categories, but these are categories that Jokic doesn't even try to compete in. I get that you only used Jokic as an example because of that clip you had seen, I just think we have to be careful in comparison.
I agree that Hayes has an all-NBA ceiling. Whether he reaches it or not is a completely different matter, and that depends on how his body takes the weight, whether he can solidify that jumper as a regular tool, whether his defensively versatility truly plays out, and whether his fundamentals as a rebounder improve. Most of that is just training and work ethic: if he gets in the gym, is coachable, and works hard, he'll do it.
The Tyson Chandler comparisons he got at draft night were kinda cringe tho. Come on Billups, get yourself together. -
08-01-2019, 07:10 PMcarpoYeh, Huchimara to Kawhi was good one as wellQuote:
Originally Posted by Pelicanidae
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08-01-2019, 07:43 PMPelicanidaeThat was embarrassing. I should make a compilation of the awful comparisons Billups makes at the draft. He has a few absolute humdingersQuote:
Originally Posted by carpo