Jaxson Hayes, Texas
Stats: 10 points, 5 rebounds, 2 blocks
There aren’t many true centers or power forwards that will be selected high in this NBA Draft, but one that has begun to find himself consistently ranked in the top 10 of most NBA Draft Big Boards is Jaxson Hayes, the young athletic big from Texas. Now that he’s officially declared for the draft, it’s looking more and more like he could be selected in the top 10.
However, there is some buyer beware when it comes to Hayes. I don’t think anyone would argue with the fact that Hayes is raw. Perhaps even extremely raw. He has great athleticism and has shown flashes of real potential, but will take a few years to really develop into the player that he could eventually be in the NBA. But there are many prospects that simply never develop. Hayes may or may not fall into that category, but it will be imperative to whichever team takes him to understand that.
His offense is still very much a work in progress, and will likely make his hay in the NBA, at least early on, on the defensive side of the ball. Hayes could go either way, it’s really a gamble with him.