Since he joined the Los Angeles Lakers, there have been plenty of Deandre Ayton doubters among the fanbase. It's not like Ayton didn't come to town with some of his own red flags, but one recently shared statistic is a pretty jarring example of why he'll fit so well with this team, and could serve to silence a lot of the skeptics.
According to Diggin Basketball's Iztok Franko, Ayton has been the best percentage-wise layup finisher in the NBA since he was drafted back in 2018. This excerpt from his article says a lot about the kind of player the Lakers have in their locker room now:
"Since 2018, Ayton’s rookie year, he has been the best finisher on shots that Genius Sports tracking data classifies as a layup (defined as an interior shot that does not result from a post move) among players with more than 2,000 such attempts. Ayton has converted 72.5% of his 2,336 layup attempts — almost a full percentage point higher than Giannis Antetokounmpo, who ranks second."
Deandre Ayton has been excellent in one statistical area
That's honestly a shocking number that should serve to put in perspective just how much expertise Ayton has in operating around the rim. It's important to note that he says this number comes from interior shots that don't result from a post move.
So these are all examples of Deandre likely catching the ball and going up for a layup or some other type of attempt at the rim. Having that kind of body control and focus to make such a high percentage of shots from close range makes him the perfect partner for Luka Doncic.
It's one thing to have a center who is highly adept at catching the ball, putting it on the floor, and making some kind of patented move to put it up and in. That's of course valuable in its own right, but I would say that having a player like Ayton is actually even more beneficial when you talk about the best fit with number 77.
The fact that Deandre Ayton has made an even higher percentage of this kind of shot over the last seven years than Giannis Antetokounmpo means the Lakers are working with someone truly gifted as a lob threat and pick-and-roll finisher. He may still have his own unique flaws as a player, but this is one big reason to be excited about his potential.