Deandre Ayton is not being asked to lead the Los Angeles Lakers, he is being asked to help complete them. For Ayton, repping the purple and gold offers him a great chance to have a bounce back in his career, and prove the doubters wrong.
In Phoenix, Ayton was expected to be a franchise cornerstone. In Portland, he was expected to find himself. In Los Angeles? He is expected to do his job, no more, no less.
A once-promising star is now in a perfect role to prove everyone wrong
That job starts with two things: finishing plays and protecting the rim. If Ayton can excel in those areas, without trying to be something he is not, he could be in for a massive season ahead. The Lakers center can become one of the most valuable bigs in the Western Conference.
On paper, Ayton is exactly what the Lakers lacked last season in size, mobility, rebounding, and pick-and-roll finishing. For him, success in Los Angeles will not come down to the numbers, it will come down to his mindset.
Embracing simplicity could be Ayton’s most intelligent move yet
This is about embracing simplicity. Setting hard screens. Rolling to the cup with intent. Catching and finishing lobs. Protecting the paint like it matters. Letting Luka Doncic and LeBron James dictate the offense, while making their jobs easier.
There is power in that kind of role. Think of players like Kevon Looney with the Golden State Warriors or Isaiah Hartenstein with the Oklahoma City Thunder, guys who did not chase stats, but made championship teams better by doing what no one else wanted to.
The Lakers do not need Ayton to be what Anthony Davis was. What they do need him to do is play like a defender who is engaged on every possession. Too often in past stops, his energy wavered, and because of that so did his value.
Ayton’s numbers won’t matter if the mindset isn’t there
That will not fly in Los Angeles. This team is built on expectations. With second year head coach JJ Redick and a clear system, Ayton has the chance to turn potential into reliability.
Ayton needs to take pride in anchoring the defense, and stops floating around the perimeter. The impact should be able to speak for itself.
Overall, the two-year, $16 million contract he signed is a chance to show some growth. It is Ayton’s opportunity to shift how the league sees him, from underwhelming former No. 1 pick to a key piece on a contender.
To do that, he does not need more plays called for him. He just needs to commit to the ones that count.