With the injuries of Yao and the need to keep up with size to compete with the front lines of teams like Lakers and Magic, it is hard for me to see Chuck Hayes being the ideal back up center at 6'6. Chuck has been a starter before and most people would say he still of great value to the Rockets with his defense and hustle, probably even more if we trade Battier. But if he's not our center and with the talent we have at PFs (assuming we get Bosh), where exactly does Chuck Hayes stand on this team? While Chuck has been playing great basketball, having him as our starting center just isn't going to be enough for us to contend. Personally, I don't see Scola, who should be a starter, losing much if any minutes to Hayes at PF. However, I also don't see Hayes as just 3rd string backup guy. He knows and has been in the system for awhile. And when you consider all the offensive threats we'll have with Brooks, Martin, Ariza, and Yao, Chuck could be a solid plug in for a guy who focuses on D and doesn't take away shots from other players. Oh yeah, he's also really cheap.
If you have 4 other potent offensive weapons on the floor, Chuck can be an effective 5th guy who'll make smart passes, set great screens, hit the offensive glass, and play very good defense on most opposing bigs. That said, if you're asking a 6'5 guy to protect the paint and guard opposing 7-footers, and Scola is the other front-line defender, don't expect great results.
Chuck's role on the team is to wear out other big men, so that Yao, Scola and whoever can clean up in the final minutes of the game. It is a good talent to have and the fact is, dude is cheap.
He's a specialist for certain defensive occasions. Like 2 seasons ago when Yao was playing. Hayes is brought in for certain defensive plays off the bench. Hayes knows his role. He's not crying for playing time or for a starting job. I love Chuck for that. Pure team player... I would love to keep him on the team, but you never know in the off season what's going to happen.
A versatile defender who comes in off the bench for a couple of minutes and gets the job done, no questions asked. Never whines and accepts his role. Plus he's dirt cheap.
He started at C this year because there was no choice. Next year he most likely will be a backup PF. There are all kinds of specialists in the league who only do one or two things well, not everyone is a complete player or an all-star. Hayes will be kept around for his one-on-one post defense and his high post passing.
I hope he's still around. In addition to what everyone else has said about him in this thread, which I agree, he is also IMO a great locker room presence. He gets tons of respect from the players because they all appreciate what he can do and does. That might actually be his number one strength. And he's a good example for the younger ones; since we have so many youngsters we really need a good role model for them. Yao is one, Hayes is certainly another.
