The phrase 'boom or bust' gets tossed around a lot, but there is truly no better way to describe the Deandre Ayton gamble for the Los Angeles Lakers. Although, Tim MacMahon of ESPN tried his best with his own decorative language.
A recent episode of The Hoop Collective focused on the Lakers' improvement as one of the main talking points. It was there that a major spotlight would find the new starting center in Los Angeles.
MacMahon said, "Deandre Ayton will either be a long-term piece, or a short-term circus fire. ... The guy's talented, there's no question about his talent. Is he going to do all the things he needs to do to help the Lakers win? If he does, I could see him being ... starting center for years to come."
The ESPN reporter expressed his firmness in there being very little room for anything in between those two extreme outcomes. Either this is the center Luka Doncic runs with for the long haul, or the Lakers will need to adjust quickly.
Blunt assessment shines light on Lakers’ biggest gamble
To some capacity, there is a definitive truth for Ayton regarding what the former first overall pick brings to the Lakers. Even in a worst-case scenario, the new big man in Los Angeles should not be worse than Jaxson Hayes and the lackluster options available last season post-Doncic trade.
Being better than bad is not what the Lakers will be hoping to get out of Ayton. The cautious optimism surrounding the former Portland Trail Blazers center is that his circumstances with the Lakers come so unbelievably gift-wrapped that it is nearly impossible to fail.
If Ayton does not prove that to be true, there is very little hope left for him being a legitimate starting center option that a team with reasonable expectations can turn to. The Lakers are the definitive spot that will define his NBA career.
It has been said over and over, but the job description in Los Angeles really is pretty simple. Work off Doncic in the pick and roll offensively, and use your physical gifts to offer a much-needed defensive presence down low.
Ayton can theoretically do those things. It is just a matter of seeing it come to fruition. The Lakers big man sounded like the belief in himself was there during his first press conference. Now, it is about making believers out of everyone else in Los Angeles.