The Lakers are in trouble! After a hot start to the year, their momentum has taken a massive halt with three straight losses. Yes, they got blown out once again tonight; this time by the Phoenix Suns. But just when they thought the situation couldn’t get any worse, Jaxson Hayes suffered a scary non-contact injury that led to him leaving merely minutes before the final whistle. And JJ Redick did not have much to say about the big man’s health after the embarrassing loss.

The incident occurred with just over a minute left in regulation when Hayes rose for an open dunk after receiving a pass from Cam Reddish. But as soon as he left the hardwood, he screamed in pain. Although Hayes managed to finish the play, he fell straight to the floor after the landing and began favoring his right ankle. Sure enough, he could not continue and limped off to the locker room. His night ended with 7 points and four rebounds.

When asked if there was any update on Jaxson’s injury, Redick kept his postgame response brief, “I have not received any (information) yet.” Yes, the head coach was as clueless as everyone else, but the non-contact injury could be a very scary sign. In the worst-case scenario, it is likely to be an Achilles injury that could put Hayes out for the entire season.

That would be devastating, considering he made his return tonight after missing six straight games with an ankle sprain. Moreover, his absence could hurt the Lakers even more.

JJ Redick reevaluates the Lakers’ defense as Jaxson Hayes’ injury risks leaving a massive void

Well, Hayes’ injury could not have come at a worse time for his team. They are already dealing with a size problem with no elite true Center in the squad. And Anthony Davis has been left with no option but to play the five, a role he has excelled in so far. However, he has been getting a lot of support from Hayes, who is averaging 6.3 points and nearly five rebounds as a backup big. But if he misses significant time due to tonight’s setback, the Lakers will be left with a big hole inside the paint.

Moreover, their defense has not been great in recent games as they got blown out by double digits in their second straight game. With Kevin Durant back in the lineup, the Suns’ Big Three combined for 72 points to beat JJ’s squad 127-100. And the Suns’ scoring outburst left JJ reevaluating his strategy, “We may have to look at some things defensively particularly against really good offensive teams where our overall sort of strategies are. They kind of got whatever they wanted.” Well, the LA team suffered the same issue against the Nuggets last weekend. So, it looks like a change is necessary. Sure enough, Lakers would be hoping that Hayes’ injury is not serious and he does not remain absent for too long so that JJ can strategize accordingly.

As per Dave McMenamin: “The Lakers say that Jaxson Hayes reaggravated the same ankle issue that kept him out of the lineup for two weeks. His status will be updated tomorrow afternoon ahead of the second night of the back-to-back in San Antonio.”