Troubles seem to be never-ending for the Los Angeles Lakers. Head coach JJ Redick, still reeling from the team’s elimination from the NBA Cup tournament, was hit with another setback involving Jaxson Hayes. Earlier today, ESPN’s Shams Charania reported that Hayes re-sprained his right ankle and is expected to miss two to three weeks. While this is a significant blow for Redick and the Lakers, it does present a silver lining. After all, one person’s loss is another’s gain, pointed out the Lakers Nation host, Trevor Lane.

Retweeting Charania’s post on X, Lane highlighted that Hayes’ absence could provide an opportunity for Christian Koloko to see more playing time on the court. “Re-sprained it in his first game back after missing two weeks. Should mean more opportunities for Christian Koloko in the meantime while we wait for updates on Christian Wood and Jarred Vanderbilt,” he wrote.

Hayes was last seen on Tuesday, making an impact with his shots against the Suns. However, in the final minutes of the game, not only did his dunk attempt fail, but he also injured his ankle which ended his chances of continuing. The 7-footer had made a come back in that game following a two-week recovery break from his ankle injury, only to suffer the same misfortune once again.

With Vanderbilt’s status still uncertain and limited options available, Redick will have to rely on the 24-year-old Koloko to help the frontcourt off the bench. During Hayes’ six-game absence before re-injuring himself, it was Koloko who stepped up, and Hayes couldn’t have been more pleased, showering him with praise.

Jaxson Hayes commends Christian Koloko for stepping up

Koloko’s two-way contract allows the Lakers to call him up from South Bay whenever needed. While some may feel that the Cameroonian didn’t necessarily go beyond his role to support the thin roster, Hayes highlighted how Koloko’s pushing himself during the former’s absence made him happy.

Hayes said, “Christian did really good. I thought he did really good, he was ready.” Highlighting his rehabilitation period over the summer, Hayes added, “The fact that he was able to come in and step up like that, played big minutes and just anchored down.”

Hayes further praised Koloko’s performance, saying, “He was playing great on the defensive end, getting lots of blocks, rebounds and just playing where he needed to play and just filling that role. I was just really happy that he did good.”

Although Koloko’s numbers haven’t been particularly impressive in his ten appearances with the Lakers, he remains a reliable option to fill in for Hayes. After Redick’s inability to replicate former coach Darvin Ham’s NBA Cup success, he will be eager to lead the team to victory. But will he be able to execute his strategy as effectively with Koloko? Only time will answer that.