Los Angeles Lakers fans, your worst fears may have come true tonight against Utah Jazz! The game may be over, but it left the Lakers with more questions than answers with respect to a player and the broader implications of that to the team. Jaxson Hayes, LA’s big man, suffered an injury during the Jazz game tonight.

The Lakers may have Luka Doncic amongst their ranks now. But the center position clearly lacks that same quality. Especially after the failed Mark Williams transfer. And now they will have to make do with Hayes, which right now isn’t working out as well for them. He has been ruled out for the remainder of the Jazz game after he suffered a facial contusion in the first half.

This may prove to be a huge setback for the Lakers if his injury is serious. Hayes contributed 4 points, 2 rebounds, and one block before his time in the game was cut short. Christian Koloko and later, debutant Alex Len, replaced him for the rest of the game. But the Lakers missed Hayes from the moment he exited the court.

Hayes had already built some chemistry with Luka Doncic in the last Jazz game. He was on the receiving end of some sumptuous lobs from the Slovenian. But the Lakers missing his defensive prowess superseded all of that. With Hayes gone, the Lakers have struggled to keep the smaller players at Utah in check. Something that Hayes excels at. All in all, his replacements simply could not cover all the bases he does and it showed as the Jazz ran away with the game.

It seems the Lakers’ 6-game winning streak will end in Utah. They were shorthanded in the big man position even without the injury to Hayes. But tonight’s game proved more than ever that the Lakers sorely need better options at center. However, as it stands, Jaxson is the big man for the Lakers. Although this injury may prove to be a golden opportunity for a recently signed veteran to displace him as the starting center.

Can the Lakers’ new signee step up after the injury to Jaxson Hayes?

Following Marks Williams’s failed move right at the trade deadline, the Los Angeles Lakers looked helpless. Their only option seemed to be the buyout market. And it appeared the pickings were slim. Well, that was before the Indiana Pacers signed Jahlil Okafor.

That’s because his signing led to the reversal of veteran center, Alex Len’s signing to the Pacers. Subsequently, the Lakers were able to swoop in and sign him, adding to their options at center. And this could be his big opportunity to become a key piece in the Lakers puzzle. Especially after Jaxson Hayes’ injury tonight.

However, the game tonight proved that the defense is the biggest issue plaguing the Lakers. And this was capped off by the Utah Jazz scoring from a sideline throw following an out-of-bounds call. Clearly, something needs to change. What’s worse is Alex was on the court when this happened, and he was also helpless to stop it. He had 7 rebounds, 2 assists, and 4 points tonight in 22 minutes of play. But the Utah Jazz outscored the Lakers by 19 points in his first minutes on the court.

Tonight’s game brought Alex Len’s limitations to the fore. JJ Redick said that he was clearly not ready to be playing significant minutes this soon. But it seems the problem is deeper than that. We believe Len just isn’t going to cut it in a Lakers team that already struggles when they’re out of possession. Should the Lakers just cut their losses at this point and look toward the buyout market? We hear that Mo Bamba is looking for a club right now.

Jokes aside, if this game showed us anything, it’s that putting the ball in the basket isn’t an issue for the Lakers. It’s keeping it out that they struggle with. And that’s precisely why Lakers fans will be praying that the rumors of the Lakers finding a loophole to complete the Mark Williams trade are true.