Los Angeles Lakers center Deandre Ayton has been asked to buy in on defense and put energy and intensity at the top of his list of responsibilities. It's a completely fair and valid request from head coach JJ Redick, who has seen his team realize its potential when Ayton checks those boxes.
For as rational as it is to prioritize defense and energy, however, the Lakers can't allow themselves to overlook how valuable Ayton's offense is, as well.
Ayton spoke candidly and admirably about coming to terms with the fact that he's, "Not that guy," on this Lakers team. He openly discussed how he's realized that he was brought to Los Angeles to offer energy, rebounding, and the type of intensity that can give every opponent nightmares on either end of the floor.
Ayton has bought in, rewarding the Lakers' belief in him as a full-time starter by turning a corner and thriving as a rim protector, rebounder, and general source of energy.
For as exciting as that may be, Redick can't afford to overlook the offensive value that Ayton also provides. He may not be a go-to player, but he's a talented scoring threat who can take over for stretches of a game and provide steady and high-quality production when positioned to do so.
If the Lakers figure out how to both emphasize Ayton's offense and get the best out of him on defense, they'll reach another level of their potential. Thankfully, it appears to be happening.
Deandre Ayton dominates Cavaliers, reminds Lakers of his offensive value
Ayton's aforementioned quote was delivered on Mar. 19, with his Mar. 18 performance being referenced along with it. Since the latter date, he's averaged 3.0 offensive rebounds and 1.4 blocks in 27.3 minutes per game while helping the Lakers produce a net rating of +9.2 with him on the court.
During that same stretch, Ayton has averaged 11.9 points per game on absurd 76.1 percent shooting from the field—and the volume is beginning to reflect the value of his efficiency.
In his most recent outing, Ayton tormented the Cleveland Cavaliers with 18 points, nine rebounds, six offensive boards, one assist, one block, and a steal. He dominated All-Star bigs Jarrett Allen and Evan Mobley on the glass and only scored six fewer points than they managed—combined.
It was the type of performance that can act as the glue to what the Lakers' perimeter-oriented attack attempts to provide, as the presence of a high-volume big can give them a target to work around.
The questions moving forward will be presented to both Ayton and Redick. For Redick, it's a question of whether or not he'll continue to feature Ayton as a target on offense. For Ayton, it's whether or not he'll allow potential ebbs and flows in his involvement to influence his effort on defense.
If both Ayton and Redick commit to giving their most to creating the optimal outcome, then the Lakers may be more legitimate contenders than skeptics have let on.