Hayes was selected with the 10th pick in the 2003 NBA Draft. Mitchell Layton/NBAE/Getty Images

We started the regular season off last week against the Bulls in Chicago. I didn’t consider myself an NBA player until the regular season started. And once the ball tipped up and we were playing I thought to myself “I finally made it”. I thanked God and all my people that helped me to this point.

It took a while for me to get into the game with everything going through my mind, especially the first couple of shots. My first shot ever in the NBA was an air ball; it was definitely nerves there but I got over it pretty quick.

The game Saturday night against the Nets felt good because I’m getting comfortable with the sets and the system that Coach Jordan is trying to install but it felt good and it’s just a stepping stone to where I want to be, it’s a stepping stone to making me a better player, games like that against the Eastern Conference Champions.

We’ve got Dallas coming up - another tough team. They had some off-season moves that definitely made them a better squad, but we just gotta come in and stay focused and try to do our thing.

I’m adjusting pretty well to the NBA schedule. Practices are a lot tougher (than in college). But it’s a lot easier to learn the sets in practices than to try and go to the game and learn them. Practice is where it all happens and where we get better.

The offense is coming along well. Everybody’s learning a little more every day. Everyone has roles in the offense and that’s mine. I just have to be consistent with it.

This weekend we’ve got a back-to-back against Toronto and Cleveland. I’ve only had one back-to-back so far and the first one wasn’t too tough but I guess the fourth and fifth back-to-back is where I’ll start feeling it a little bit. The travel is tough - you have to get on the plane at 1 or 2 in the morning. It’s tough but I’m getting used to the late night. Hayes is averaging 13.0 points and 4.3 rebounds through the first three games of the season.