ON THE LAUNDRY record of errors that doomed the Los Angeles Lakers in Tuesday’s gut-wrenching loss to the Orlando Magic, Deandre Ayton’s play wasn’t certainly one of them.
Removed from it.
The Lakers heart scored 21 factors on simply 11 subject objective makes an attempt and snatched a game-high 13 rebounds, giving L.A. a stay, lively large to fight Orlando’s rugged entrance line of Wendell Carter Jr., Paolo Banchero and Jonathan Isaac.
Requested if the hassle he performed with was acknowledged by his teammates, resulting in extra alternatives, Ayton gave a diplomatic reply.
“The ball finds power,” Ayton advised reporters. “They consider in me once I’m down there and sealing, and so they see me working arduous to the rim and crashing; they reward me.”
It was Ayton’s first 20-10 recreation in practically a month and, to him, proof of the function he ought to occupy for the Lakers extra typically.
When he was completed chatting with the group, Ayton made his approach again towards the showers and mentioned what he actually felt — loud sufficient for anybody nonetheless within the locker room to listen to.
“They’re making an attempt to make me Clint Capela,” Ayton mentioned, referring to the Houston Rockets’ now backup heart, who a decade in the past made his influence as a lob-catching, rim-running large on a group that made it to 2 convention finals.
“I am not no Clint Capela!”
Although the obtrusive storyline popping out of the loss was how Luka Doncic handed up an open shot within the ultimate seconds and as a substitute dumped the ball off to LeBron James for a desperation heave, there was little consideration paid to how Doncic received that open look to start with.
Popping out of the timeout, Ayton executed his half in Lakers coach JJ Redick’s play with precision, working from the backcourt to the left wing and squaring his shoulders to set a tough choose on the Magic’s Anthony Black to liberate Doncic for a clear catch past the arc.
Being a display setter in clutch time will not be what is meant to be requested of a participant who was the No. 1 choose within the 2018 draft — two spots forward of his now teammate Doncic, three forward of Jaren Jackson Jr., 4 forward of Trae Younger, 10 forward of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and 32 earlier than Jalen Brunson. Ayton, nonetheless, has by no means developed the repute as a go-to star. As a substitute, his repute has grow to be certainly one of a proficient however unserious participant, the sort who jokingly executes cartwheels within the locker room and disappears on the courtroom for giant stretches at a time.
Marcus Good, who additionally signed with L.A. as a free agent final summer season and whose locker is located subsequent to Ayton’s, acknowledged the room for development.
“I believe he is finished OK,” Good mentioned this week. “He positively may very well be higher, all of us may. However the factor I really like about it’s he understands it and he is working. All of us are attempting to determine it out; that is new to everyone. He is doing his greatest, however he understands it is one other notch that we’d like him to go to, and we’ll attempt to get him there and assist with that. However he is aware of he is received to do his half as properly.”
Or maybe most significantly, the query is whether or not he can settle for the half the Lakers need him to play.
THERE WAS LESS than an hour earlier than tipoff in opposition to the Atlanta Hawks on Jan. 13 when Ayton entered the Lakers’ locker room.
Simply contained in the door, Ayton’s breezy stroll slowed down and his gait all of a sudden stiffened for just a few awkward steps earlier than the large man hurtled towards the ground.
What would have been one of many weirder pregame accidents in NBA historical past morphed into one thing else fully: Ayton caught his fall by putting each fingers over his head and gracefully executed a cartwheel, adopted by a somersault, to land safely on two toes.
“I hope that made y’all day!” Ayton bellowed to the room after sticking the touchdown. “That was a 7-footer, 260 [pounds], that simply did a cartwheel!”
The Willy Wonka-esque entrance was practically as extraordinary because the circumstances that led to the 2018 No. 1 choose falling into the Lakers’ lap final summer season.
The intentional fall offered a glimpse of the uncooked, athletic expertise that made Ayton the Phoenix Suns’ prime choice — and an instance of a questionable repute that has adopted him for years throughout the NBA.
Early in his profession, he would typically tackle a special persona when answering inquiries to the media — “Alejandro,” who spoke with an accent, was a favourite of his; “Josh,” whose temper would swing on the drop of a hat, was one other — sources advised ESPN. And he would typically keep in character when interacting with gamers and coaches. With the Portland Path Blazers, for whom he performed from 2023 to 2025, he infamously missed a house recreation in opposition to the Brooklyn Nets as a result of he did not put together to make the commute to the sector with the frigid forecast and was reportedly caught in his neighborhood due to snow and icy situations.
However when a participant has a standing attain of 9-foot-3, a wingspan of 7-5 and a 43-inch vertical leap, sure behaviors could be tolerated as peccadilloes fairly than shunned as unprofessional.
AUSTIN REAVES, SLOWLY ramping up from a left calf pressure, took a break from his particular person ability work and plopped himself down in a courtside seat at Ball Enviornment. As he crammed his lungs with the skinny Denver air, his eyes mounted on a teammate working himself right into a full lather earlier than the sport.
It was per week after the Hawks recreation — the night time that began with Ayton’s flips and completed with him scoring 17 factors on 7-for-9 capturing and 18 rebounds — and the large man was connecting on midrange shot after midrange shot because the Lakers readied to play the group that ended their seasons in 2023 and 2024.
“That man proper there may be the X issue,” Reaves advised ESPN, gesturing to Ayton. “He modifies our ceiling.”
Ayton’s efficiency to date this season has been a hit by many measures.
The Lakers are 16-3 when Ayton has not less than 10 subject objective makes an attempt, however that stat carries a serious caveat: Solely three of these video games got here when James, Doncic and Reaves had been additionally within the lineup. There have been extra touches to go round.
He is averaging 13.2 factors, 8.5 rebounds and 0.9 blocks. He has appeared in 49 video games, making him the second-most obtainable participant on the group, trailing solely Jake LaRavia.
Although he is averaging a career-low 9.0 subject objective makes an attempt, he is capturing a career-best 66.7% from the sector. That is the second-best mark within the NBA, behind the Minnesota Timberwolves’ Rudy Gobert, and if it holds would be the greatest by any Laker for a season since Wilt Chamberlain in 1972-73.
However Ayton’s influence is judged relative to expectation, very like his group is.
Take into account a hypothetical: Workforce A is 11 video games over .500 in essentially the most aggressive convention in essentially the most aggressive basketball league on the planet after its greatest three gamers had been on the courtroom collectively for under 13 of the primary 57 video games. Successful story, little question.
However when the Lakers label is utilized and the star energy of James, Doncic and Reaves is added to the equation, it is simply not as spectacular, context be damned.
The identical goes for Ayton, whose draft standing and early postseason exploits in Phoenix — serving to the Suns to their first NBA Finals look in practically three many years at age 22 — set the usual he should construct on to be seen as reaching his potential.
“As a primary choose,” a Western Convention scout advised ESPN, “he is largely underachieved.”
THE 2025-26 SEASON started with promise for Ayton. He put up 20 and 10 in six of the Lakers’ first 15 video games, together with in wins in opposition to groups that includes elite large males in San Antonio Spurs star Victor Wembanyama and the Milwaukee Bucks’ Giannis Antetokounmpo.
However then the Lakers went 4-7 from Dec. 20 via Jan. 12, and Ayton’s momentum halted, too.
After scoring simply 4 factors on 2-for-4 capturing on Jan. 2 in opposition to the Memphis Grizzlies, Ayton aired a uncommon grievance.
“Bigs cannot feed themselves,” he mentioned.
Redick — who has remained an advocate behind the scenes, sources near Ayton advised ESPN — took the suggestions in stride. In a rematch with Memphis two nights later, Redick known as the primary play for Ayton and the early rating spurred him to fifteen factors, eight rebounds and three blocks for the sport.
“It is a story as outdated as time for a giant man,” Redick mentioned. “That is the truth of being a giant: Somebody has to go you the ball. You are not initiating the offense.”
There’s additionally an ego that’s wanted to thrive on the NBA stage. Just like James’ “CHOSEN 1” tattoo that spans from shoulder to shoulder, Ayton has “DOMINAYTON” inked in jagged capital letters throughout his higher again.
The Lakers have stoked that ego, too: Rob Pelinka, group president of basketball operations and basic supervisor, commissioned a black T-shirt with a gold display print depicting half of a lion’s face and half of Ayton’s face that he offered to the 27-year-old. Members of the coaching workers wrap Ayton’s water bottle in athletic tape and write “DA’s Crunk Juice — Drink this to unleash the beast” in black marker on it earlier than video games.
The duty for the Lakers is getting Ayton to care as a lot for the grind and the function as he does for placing factors on the board.
“When he is at his greatest, and we have seen it, we have seen glimpses of it, he is taking part in with power,” a group supply advised ESPN. “And that is taking part in with nice power on each ends of the ground in the case of screening. Then rolling and placing strain on the rim; [when the] shot goes up, crashing the glass; sprinting again in transition; loading to the basketball; calling out your communication; being in the proper positioning; contesting photographs; boxing out. These issues for a giant are simply actually thankless whenever you’re a talented large. However on this group, that is what his function is.
“He needs to be a dust employee.”
Of all of the soiled work Ayton has been tasked with, he has excelled as a screener. He has set 15.7 on-ball screens per recreation for Doncic — the third most amongst duos to run 200 or extra performs collectively this season, based on ESPN Analysis. He has additionally averaged 3.7 display assists — a choose that straight results in a participant making a subject objective — this season, the fourth most within the league.
“He does a fantastic job creating contact and knocking defenders off to permit our playmakers to make performs,” a group supply advised ESPN. “And it is one thing that, frankly, he is been fairly dedicated to.”
Workforce sources advised ESPN that when Ayton brings power to those duties, the large man earns extra minutes and, in flip, will get fed by his teammates extra typically.
When he would not, it is easy to identify the distinction.
“He picks and chooses when he desires to lock in and play,” the West scout added. “Which isn’t what most dominant facilities do.”
AYTON SPENT THE All-Star break in his native Bahamas, rehabbing the proper knee soreness that induced him to overlook two video games.
On his approach again to L.A., he was detained at Lynden Pindling Worldwide Airport in Nassau for “a really small quantity of marijuana [that] wasn’t in Deandre’s bag,” his lawyer, Devard Francis, advised Reuters.
Ayton was shortly launched, based on Francis, and sources advised ESPN he made it again to L.A. with out lacking any group actions. The Lakers contemplate the state of affairs a misunderstanding and have moved ahead from it, a supply conversant in the group’s considering mentioned.
In his first apply again with the group, he did every thing the teaching workers was searching for.
“He was in fairly good condition,” a group supply mentioned. “He was spirited. He had good disposition.”
It carried over to the Lakers’ first recreation after the break, a 125-122 win over the LA Clippers, when Ayton was liable for the spotlight of the night time by sprinting the ground and skying via the air to throw down an alley-oop from James. He closed the sport, too. He performed 10 out of 12 minutes within the fourth quarter and was the one Lakers starter with a constructive plus-minus within the ultimate body, ending the sport with 13 factors, seven rebounds and a block.
“DA was nice,” Redick mentioned. “Very engaged and simply was capable of execute our defensive recreation plan at a extremely excessive degree.”
However within the Lakers’ subsequent recreation — a 111-89 loss to the rival Boston Celtics with purple and gold royalty comparable to Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Magic Johnson and James Worthy in attendance for Pat Riley’s statue ceremony — Ayton completed with as many fouls as factors (4) and performed simply three minutes within the fourth quarter.
That is the Lakers’ Ayton conundrum, one the Suns and Blazers skilled and divested from — engaged and efficient one night time, disengaged and absent the subsequent.
Through the group’s movie session Monday to assessment the Boston loss, Redick lauded Ayton for his defensive presence, significantly for his execution when the group switched 1 via 5, however he additionally highlighted the place Ayton’s effort was missing.
“There was a clip,” Redick mentioned, “Jaylen Brown goes to the ground. We have a 5-on-4 and [Ayton] goes at about 20% pace, the place it is clearly a man-down state of affairs. So by way of him working and placing strain on the rim and offensive rebounding, significantly in opposition to switches and smaller gamers, he may very well be higher there.”
Ayton was hardly solely liable for the loss on a day when James, Doncic and Reaves mixed to shoot 22-for-53 (41.5%). And Redick, justifiably, was simply making an attempt to get one thing to click on when he tried out completely different personnel late.
“I’ve his again,” Redick mentioned of Ayton. “These guys, we attempt to make them perceive my job is to assist the Lakers attempt to win basketball video games. And so nothing is ever private.”
Now, because the sixth-place Lakers are hitting essentially the most essential stretch of the season with 25 video games to go, Ayton is simply too.
If the Lakers make a run and Ayton fulfills his function, his gamble to forfeit $10 million of his $35.6 million wage with the Blazers for 2025-26 to grow to be a free agent may repay with a brand new, multiyear contract this summer season in L.A. or elsewhere. But when they stumble, Ayton’s contributions, or lack thereof, can be seen by everybody across the league.
Which makes this a tenuous time. For the Lakers to win, each participant should play his function. But when the Lakers aren’t successful, each participant taking part in for his subsequent contract — like Ayton — will naturally really feel the pull to play for himself.
It is what Ayton, at his introductory information convention in July, mentioned he needed. And now that want will actually be examined.
“It is a platform that I can’t run from,” Ayton mentioned. “I can present what I actually am … [There] is a number of gas in me to show to the entire world.”
ESPN’s Matt Williams contributed to this report.
