3 Lakers who must be benched, if Lakers are going to make the playoffs.

3 Lakers who must be benched, if Lakers are going to make the playoffs.

Once more, the Los Angeles Lakers are fighting valiantly to qualify for the NBA Playoffs this season. The Lakers appear to be headed to the Play-In Tournament for the third time in the last four seasons,

having been considered one of the league’s top title favorites going into the season.

That is certainly not where the Lakers want to be, and they must start winning soon if they hope to finish in the top six in the West.

Time is of the essence for the Lakers, and a swift turnaround is imperative if they are to save this ship.

Head coach Darvin Ham must alter his strategy and begin using his top players if he wants that to occur.

Due to injuries, the Lakers do not now have the luxury of benching certain players, but once the team is healthy, that will be possible.

Jaxson Hayes must be benched by the Lakers.

With Christian Wood out with an injury, Jaxson Hayes has performed admirably in his temporary role as the team’s lone true center, but he hasn’t quite lived up to the hype.

Instead of providing the Lakers fans with a youthful, physically fit rim protector, Hayes has only served to remind everyone why he was a minimum signing in the first place after four years.

For good reason, Hayes is rarely used when the rotation is at its strongest.

The Lakers need to sit Wood down and give him the playing time Hayes is receiving once he returns, despite his poor defensive play.

To rough up Nikola Jokic and get a foul or two, he might be able to play in a postseason series, but that would be the limit of his contribution.

Hayes isn’t a player who should be playing with the season on the line, as seen by the Lakers’ five-point decline in net rating while he is on the court.

Get more related news on https://sportviewers.com