The Lakers have come a long way from their center woes of last season. They finally have a reliable starter, a lob threat with seamless chemistry alongside Luka Doncic, and now with a healthy Maxi Kleber, the center rotation seems to be solidified.
Maxi Kleber
Kleber isn’t the biggest or most athletic defender, but he’s the most reliable. He can switch onto guards, rotate as the low man, contest without fouling, and survive mismatches long enough for the help to arrive. That’s why the Lakers trusted him to close out the game in Utah. He stabilized the defense when Ayton went down, and Hayes ran into foul trouble.
What makes Kleber special isn’t a singular elite skill, but the combination of many above-average ones. He anticipates drives, times contests, communicates through screens, and plays with the kind of defensive discipline that keeps the structure intact. He’s probably the only center who can execute the full menu of defensive schemes Redick wants to run, which is why he has the trust of the coaching staff late in games.
Jaxson Hayes
Hayes gives the Lakers pure vertical gravity. He shifts defenses just by rolling to the rim, and his mobility helps speed up the game in ways Ayton and Kleber can’t.
But Hayes is still volatile. He racks up fouls, occasionally mistimes rotations, and can struggle with the mental side of late-game defense. He has the tools, but lacks the reliability. He’s the big you play when you want to attack the rim. He’s not always the big you close with.
DeAndre Ayton
DeAndre Ayton has surprised many critics with his consistent effort and reliability. He’s a go-to option for scoring down low with his post play and as a pick-and-roll finisher.
On defense, he brings size, rebounding, and a dependable presence in deep drop coverage. He cleans the glass, finishes rolls, and gives the Lakers the closest thing they have to a traditional anchor. For large stretches of a game, that stability matters.
But he’s far from the perfect center. Ayton struggles in space, can be slow to read breakdowns, and doesn’t shift laterally well enough for switch-heavy lineups. When the tempo rises or the opponent runs multiple-action sets, Ayton becomes matchup-dependent.
He’s the big you start games with — not always the one you finish with.
Why Kleber Makes Everything Fit
The beauty of this rotation is that each piece brings a different strength. The challenge is that only one of them can exist in any lineup, matchup, or defensive coverage.
That’s Maxi Kleber.
He doesn’t just fill minutes. He connects them. And for a Lakers team leaning heavily on defensive execution to complement its superstars, Kleber’s versatility has become essential.
JJ Redick doesn’t have a perfect big, but he does have three very different ones. And the more this season unfolds, the clearer it becomes: Maxi Kleber is the piece that unlocks the entire structure.
