The Los Angeles Lakers have a clear plan of attack to beat the Houston Rockets, but that plan will fall flat on its face if LA cannot hold its own on the glass.
The Rockets are one of the most dominant rebounding NBA teams of the last quarter-century, and the Lakers will need to employ an all-hands-on-deck approach to rebounding in this series, with everyone boxing out like madmen and crashing the boards on every single possession.
LA's bigger wings -- LeBron James, Rui Hachimura, and Jake LaRavia -- will be tasked with leveling up their responsibilities on the backboard, and it goes without saying that Deandre Ayton and Jaxson Hayes cannot afford to get bullied down low while fighting for rebounds.
If Deandre Ayton doesn't rebound, Houston will destroy the Lakers
Ayton, in particular, will be under a microscope held by Lakers fans who have criticized his efforts all season long, in most cases rightfully. This series could be Ayton's final shot to prove he's of significant value to the Lakers.
ESPN's Tim MacMahon alluded to the importance of Ayton during a recent episode of the Brian Windhorst & Hoop Collective podcast, but MacMahon didn't sound optimistic that Ayton will come through for the Lakers.
"(The Lakers) need Deandre Ayton to deliver big-time," MacMahon asserted. "And I like 41-year-old LeBron's odds of having a big-time playoff series much more than I like (Ayton's odds of delivering)."
Windhorst replied to MacMahon point by reminding viewers about JJ Redick's recent funny quote about the Lakers heading into this series. Essentially, Redick stated that the Lakers' most important job against the Rockets will be to rebound, and their second-most important task will be to box out.
Deandre Ayton's history suggests he's about to be a no-show for LA
MacMahon wasn't out of touch with his projection for Ayton. Deandre hasn't been consistent for any long stretch of time in a Lakers uniform, so it would be weird to expect him to flip the switch and keep it on for what could be a grueling, seven-game series.
The regular season is the time and place to develop championship habits, but Ayton only clocked in for work some of the time this past season for the Lake Show. On many nights, he looked like a zombie on the court, and every blue moon, he woke up and reminded Lakers fans why his sky-high potential is so tantalizing (but ultimately, frustrating) to witness when it rears its head.
The Lakers have pretty much zero margin for error in this upcoming series. They won't survive a disaster-class showing from Ayton, but there's not a Lakers fan on Earth who can guarantee that that won't happen.
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