Jaxson Hayes could be a target for Phoenix Suns as a backup C
Richaun Holmes won’t be around forever. Could Texas center Jaxson Hayes be the Phoenix Suns’ next young backup to Deandre Ayton?
Jaxson Hayes is hoping to be the next Texas center to receive a high draft pick and develop into a solid NBA player. He is following what is becoming a Texas tradition of good centers behind recent picks of Myles Turner, Jarrett Allen, and Mohamed Bamba.
Like Bamba, Hayes provides an excellent NBA frame at 6’11 with a 7’4 wingspan and incredible athleticism to match. He has been praised for his scoring efficiency and his defensive prowess but the numbers reveal some interesting tidbits about his game.
The first thing that jumps out about Hayes is his finishing ability, many of his highlights show dunks in transition and off of rolls. The numbers back that up extremely as Hayes shot 73% from inside the arc (7th best in the NCAA) and posted a TS% of 73.9 as well. Hayes’ ability to finish will likely translate to the pros and make him a great option as a diving big man in high PnR.
On top of that, Hayes also shot 74% from the line on 3 attempts per game. Only 12 NBA centers took that many FTs per game this season in the NBA and Hayes FT% would rank him 6th.
Entering into the NBA with a FT% that high is a good sign for his ability to develop a mid-range shot as well, and given the way the NBA is going, possibly a good 3-point shot as well.
Hayes also posted great numbers on the defensive end of the floor.
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He has the frame, lateral quickness, and focus to be an incredible defensive player and the numbers show that as well. Incredibly, he posted a shot block rate of 10.6% which means he got a block every tenth defensive possession he was on the floor which is absolutely crazy when you think about it.
In addition, his Defensive box plus-minus was 7.3, good for 2nd in the Big 12 and 18th in the NCAA overall.
Hayes does have some clear weaknesses though, with the most glaring being his rebounding numbers.
He only grabbed 16.2% of available defensive rebounds meaning he was clearly overpowered on the boards often.
Additionally, he struggled to stay on the floor because of foul trouble as he committed 5.7 fouls per-40 minutes.
The final major worry in his numbers was his turnover rate of 13.9 coupled with such a low usage rate of 16.9%.
Many of Hayes’ weaknesses though are a result of his inexperience. As he continues to develop athletically, he will refine his game. He was a multi-sport athlete throughout high school committing to basketball because of a growth spurt.
Hayes lacks polish to finish with left hand or any basic post skills and commits fouls in an almost careless manner. He too occasionally makes incorrect reads and sloppy plays on both ends of the floor.
However, he has shown a willingness to work hard which should be his saving grace in the NBA.
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He will need to put the work in to develop his all-around game, otherwise, his ceiling could be limited to being a longer Clint Capela, which is a great result but could depress his draft value as the ability to get athletic roll bigs will be available deep into the draft – potentially dropping him into a spot that the Phoenix Suns might find a way to trade back in and snag him.