Jaxson Hayes is just 21 years old and has only been a pro for three seasons, but following Tuesday’s 123-109 win in Sacramento, the 6-foot-11 power forward sounded like a grizzled NBA veteran, a man who’s already endured a wide array of adversity. In a way, that’s actually very much been the case. Since the summer of 2019, when New Orleans was forced to trade Anthony Davis to the Los Angeles Lakers, the Pelicans have navigated more than their share of difficulties, from significant roster changes, to coaching staff alterations, to key injuries, to poor starts that greatly hampered their chances of reaching the postseason in both 2019-20 and 2020-21.
Pelicans turnaround, play-in berth part of three-year process filled with adversity
