Killian Hayes: Another step towards redemption

This season it was not so much about victories and losses for the Long Island Nets, but about redemption. This was very clear because different players in the team tried to drive their career forward or return to the NBA. Nobody more than Killian Hayes.

The 23-year-old point of 6’5 ”wants that more than anything and he doesn’t shy away from saying it.

“This is my only goal to return to the NBA,” he said to Netsdaily on Tuesday. “Talks were certainly spoken, but I think we will see what will happen in the future.”

If and when he does it, it will mark a turnaround that led him after disappointment by disappointment, then a break here, a break that leads to hope for the player, which was once seen as France’s next big star.

Hayes started his professional career as a 16-year-old in France, where he would quickly become one of the most promising men’s players in the country. As the son of an American father and a French mother, he was born in Lakeland, Florida, but grew up in his France. His father, the former Penn State Hooper Deron Hayes, played most of his professional career with French strength packages Cholet and Nancy.

Killian’s career didn’t take long. He won the gold medal and received the most valuable players (MVP) with France at the 2017 FIBA ​​U16 European Championship. He led his team to a silver medal at the FIBA ​​U17 World Cup 2018.

In the same year he was invited to play in “basketball without borders” during the NBA All-Star weekend in Los Angeles. Hayes was the second youngest player who was invited. He was only 17 years old. It was his first time in the NBA ramp and impressed the fans and scouts, but he was still two years away from being considered for the NBA design!

Hayes finally got his first in the NBA with the Detroit Pistons when he was designed the seventh overall in the NBA design 2020. In some bills he was as high as No. 1. Shortly after he had signed his rookie scale contract with the Pistons, Hayes suffered a hip injury two days later, which was diagnosed as a Labralriss. He only played 26 games in his rookie season.

His career never agreed with his promise in Detroit, and although injuries were a problem, it was his shootout that injured him the most. After three and a half years, Hayes was unloaded by the Pistons last February last February, then a historically bad NBA team with a 7: 43 record.

Throughout his career, Hayes simply couldn’t control the ball in the tire. His career constructions were a total of 38.2% and 27.7% of Deep. How bad was that? He was the worst in the NBA in the effective field of goal percentage in each of his first three seasons and never reached over 42.6%, far below the league average of 54.8%. Last season he had a slight improvement before he was cut, but was still the third parties in the league in the EFG.

“It didn’t work because of its shootout. He never shot, ”said the GM Troy Weaver from Pistons. “The guy can really defend itself, we saw his play skills, but if you are a guard in the NBA, you have to take pictures.”

At the age of 22 he was not in the league. No team picked him up. Then things got worse. He was cut again in June, this time by the French national team who won the silver at the Olympic Games in Paris. A Detroit basketball author said: “2024 was not a friendly year for Killian Hayes.”

Slowly things started to turn. A little more than two weeks after he was cut by Team France, he worked in front of a series of teams in Las Vegas and the networks signed him for a contract with exhibition 10, essentially a make-good deal, he had worked with previous ones. The deputy Brooko coach Adam Harrington, whom he attributed to help his shooting mechanics.

Finally a setback. A hip problem. He missed all four Nets pre-season games when he continued his hip. That didn’t do him or especially Jordi Fernandez.

“The injury came at a terrible time, but it is what it is. That is another reason why I stayed with the networks, ”said Hayes at the Media Day of Long Island. “I worked with my injury to rehabilitate it. So it only makes sense to return more and better. It is going well and gets better every day. “

“I saw him play in practice and didn’t,” said Fernández in the previous season about Hayes. “I saw him and I’m very happy with him.”

“Killian has a good feeling for the game,” added the constantly moving Fernández. “He worked very hard all the time when we had him here. He was really good in the camp. “

Brooklyn, however, could not sign him to a two-way deal. Two-ways are limited to players with four years or less NBA experience, and Hayes at the age of 23 is in his fifth year. So he was cut by Brookly and assigned Long Island. Hayes’ decision to choose Long Island – playing in the G -League – gave him the best shot to return to the league.

At least in the shooting department, things started slowly – “up and down” when he said Hoopshype in December. Hayes exploded a month ago. In the last seven games, he apparently put his reputation as a solid playmaker and defender aside who cannot shoot.

Seven games – interrupted by a poor flu case – can appear like a small sample for some, but it is promised for Hayes. In this route he stole an average of 23.3 points, 9.1 assists, 4.4 assists and 3.1 with shooting of 57/50/89. He scored five three in one game twice. His effective field target percentage in this route? 65.3%.

“Insert work,” said Hayes ND how his shot developed. “At the end of the day, only being confident. I like how my shot feels. I like my chances when I shoot the ball. This is one of the reasons why I started to only have this intention when I shoot. “

While Hayes’ shoot has improved a lot, he remains a natural playmaker who includes his teammates.

“I try to get as many templates as possible,” says Hayes. “That’s how I go. Just share the ball and keep everyone happy. You can also see this (on the score leaf), or seven boys have more than 10 points. It’s a good thing for us. “

Indeed. Three weeks ago he had 26 points and 18 templates in the victory against Raptors905 in Montreal, where his French heir and his language skills were a great success.

In addition to the numbers, Hayes has made a great connection to his teammates such as Drew Timme and Dariq Whitehead.

“He makes the game so easy,” Timme told Netsdaily about working with Hayes on Tuesday. “He just makes it. It only leaves the right reading. Whatever he does, I only know that it’s the right game. It’s great to play with the man at such a high level. “

He added: “I think we are all surprised that he is still down here to be honest as he wears and played himself.”

“Killian can do better and make me better,” said Whitehead to ND to mirror Timme’s comments. “To be able to play off from him. He is a really good player. The way he thinks and knows the game, and exactly as it generally plays. It is best for the team and makes everyone running. ”

“It is part of his development,” said Long Island head coach Mfon Udofia from Hayes’ shooting improvement. “Of course, when you come to the G-League, you have things you want to work on and you want to be selfish. It is what we are here for.

“Our coaching team did a really good job at Killian, he used the work every day, and you can see that she pays off. It was great to be successful because he does so much work and he worked really hard. “

Brooklyn’s head coach Jordi Fernandez and his coaching team were present in the Nassau Coliseum on Tuesday to observe how Long Island destroyed the Windy City Bulls. Hayes met the background in this game and had Timme and Whitehead wear the cargo, but still played well. Fernandez said G League TV that he was there to “support” Long Island, but he also had a place on Hayes’ square. There had to be some scouting too. After all, he and the employees had arrived in Uniondale the night before in the night before a big win in Brooklyn.

It remains to be seen what will happen next, but many Brooklyn fans are already asking their team to give Hayes this standard contract and bring it back. There are a number of moving pieces that have the right way for the networks to give Hayes this last shot in redemption. It should also be noted when Hayes Nd said that he and his agent had “conversations”, which he did not say with which NBA teams. The nets only have its G league rates. Each of the other 29 teams who have a squad opening can sign it.

But with Ben Simmons and the networks that Trendon Watford fills out on the backup Point Guard, another playmaker must be required. And giving players like Hayes – a fallen angel in the NBA language – is what the reconstruction teams do. One thing we know is that Hayes has been one of the best point guards in the G-League lately, and it is possible that we have seen the last one of him on Long Island, as teams have his name before the End of the all-star break.