Jaxson Hayes took part in Lakers' practice on Tuesday

[ASFN Admin]

If the Los Angeles Lakers are going to have a real shot at knocking the Houston Rockets out of the first round of the NBA playoffs, they will need everyone who is going to play to pull their own weight.

Not only do they need to neutralize future Hall of Famer Kevin Durant, but they also need to contain two-time All-Star center Alperen Sengun. That means Lakers centers Deandre Ayton and Jaxson Hayes will need to play especially strong basketball throughout this series.

Hayes missed the Lakers' last four regular-season games with a foot ailment. But he returned to practice on Tuesday and said he was "feeling a lot better," per Daniel Starkand of Lakers Nation.

“Feeling a lot better,” he said. “It was nice getting a few days off, especially with my job I jump a lot and run a lot. So it’s hard for me to rest something like that. So getting those days off was much-needed, very helpful.”

The backup center said that wear and tear caused him to be sidelined.

“It was a bit of accumulation over the years,” Hayes added. “Seven years of jumping around the NBA at seven foot isn’t gonna be the best.”

He also said that he was never worried about his availability for Game 1 of the series against the Rockets, which will take place this Saturday.

The Lakers don't necessarily need points from Hayes, but they will need not just rim protection but especially rebounding from him. Houston is one of the best rebounding teams in the NBA, and it is particularly fearsome on the offensive boards. Everyone will need to box out with physicality when a shot goes up for Houston, and the Lakers will need to limit Houston to one shot per possession as much as possible.

During the regular season, Hayes averaged 7.5 points on 75.6% field-goal shooting, 4.1 rebounds and 0.8 blocks in 18.3 minutes a game.

This article originally appeared on LeBron Wire: Jaxson Hayes took part in Lakers' practice on Tuesday

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