Jaxson Hayes’ developing three-point shot makes him a valuable member of the New Orleans Pelicans future
When analyzing the New Orleans Pelicans play this past season, the one addition I felt the team needed was a floor-stretching big man. Since then, I have been writing non-stop about ways for the Pelicans to acquire a player with that type of skillset.
Doing some thinking as of late though, I question what if that player is already on the roster? That’s right, I believe Jaxson Hayes can evolve into the next sharpshooting big man in the NBA.
It might seem far fetched right now but if Jaxson Hayes goes to work this offseason, there’s reason to believe he could become a solid spot-up shooter from the center position. If he adds this dimension to his game, that’ll make him a core member of the New Orleans Pelicans going forward.
Why I believe Jaxson Hayes can become a stretch-big for the New Orleans Pelicans
My entire theory for Jaxson Hayes’ evolution hinges on two pieces of evidence. The first being Hayes’ shot mechanics and flashes and the second is the development of other players at his position in recent years.
Let’s start with the first component. Jaxson Hayes flashed soft touch and good free-throw shooting at his time in college. In his lone season at Texas, Hayes was shooting 75% from the free-throw line which is impressive for a player of his size.
That impressive free-throw percentage came from clean mechanics. Hayes shoots the ball with a strong compact base from his legs. He uses his base to load up his shot and he releases it smoothly without any hitches in his form.
You can see that form on display here (at 04:40):
Hayes uses that same shooting technique to pull off smooth turnaround hooks and the occasional spot-up mid-range shot in his career so far. That leads me to believe that if Hayes continues working with the New Orleans Pelicans player development staff he can extend his range even further.
Then I started to look at trends around the league and I see that a lot of bigs in the NBA with Jaxson Hayes’ build are beginning to shoot from deep. One player who specifically compares well to Hayes is Indiana Pacers big man Myles Turner.
Turner who also attended Texas has a similar frame to Hayes. Both men stand at 6’11” and have a 7’4″ wingspan. In college, Turner played very similar to Jaxson Hayes as an athletic rim-runner with little interest in shooting but good mechanics.
In the NBA though, Turner has evolved into one of the premier shooting big men in the league. With Turner’s shooting mechanics also being similar to Jaxson Hayes’ there’s reason to believe that with continued work from distance Hayes could also develop a three-point shot.
What a potential three-point shot from Hayes does for the New Orleans Pelicans offense
Let me preface this by saying, I’m not advocating for Jaxson Hayes to ever be a perimeter orientated big man. If the New Orleans Pelicans try to turn him into that then they’d be wasting the rare athletic abilities that make him a strong player around the rim.
What I’m saying is that Jaxson Hayes having a solid three-point serves the old adage of “keeping the defense honest”. Having Jaxson Hayes be able to shoot the occasional corner-three or play in a pick-and-pop action would do a lot for the New Orleans Pelicans offense.
Even if he doesn’t hit threes at an outstanding rate, being willing to take them will pull a defender away from the paint and give room for Brandon Ingram and Zion Williamson to operate down low.
If the defense decides to pack the paint to stop the other Pelicans players, then having Hayes hit a three would still create smart offensive habits for the Pelicans.
Adding a three-point shot would make Jaxson Hayes even deadlier because he would be making the New Orleans Pelicans deadlier. That shot would make the New Orleans Pelicans consider Hayes to be a franchise center and another valuable member of the team’s young core.