Deandre Ayton just did exactly what Lakers fans have been asking for

The Los Angeles Lakers crushed the Minnesota Timberwolves on Tuesday night as fans finally saw the Deandre Ayton the franchise needs. The big man’s talent is never in question, but LA needs him to play a specific role. They have three stars to lead the offense, which means Ayton’s job is to thrive as a lob threat, rebounder, and screener. He filled it beautifully against the Wolves as the Lakers picked up a needed win.

Ayton wants a larger role, but he can put up massive numbers by doing what the Lakers want. He had a 14-point double-double against the Wolves and was LA’s third-highest scorer. It allowed him to stay on the floor after weeks of shrinking his minutes. Hopefully, this is the start of the big man turning a corner.

Minnesota couldn’t find their offense on Tuesday night, and the Lakers' defense deserves a ton of credit. Ayton was anchoring things and fully locked in. He finally did what the purple and gold have been asking for, and it resulted in a 14-point win over a fellow Western Conference contender.

Deandre Ayton finally filled the role the Lakers want

Ayton finished with 14 points, 12 rebounds, two assists, and one steal against the Timberwolves. He made seven of his 11 field goal attempts as the Lakers outscored Minnesota by ten points in the big man’s 34 minutes on the floor. His numbers were impressive, but Rudy Gobert's lack of production was just as massive.

Gobert finished with three points and zero blocks in 27 minutes of action. He did grab 12 rebounds, but missed his only field goal attempt. Ayton winning the battle of the bigs was crucial, especially as this could be the first-round playoff matchup next month.

A locked-in Ayton is exactly what the Lakers need. His energy and effort can be a problem, but there was none of that on Tuesday night. Fans took to social media to heap praise on the seven-footer for one of his best games of the season.

This is exactly what the Lakers need if they are going to make a deep playoff run. They have dominated two straight contenders and have won six of their last seven. It appears things are coming together in LA, and that includes Ayton buying into the role the franchise needs. Cleaning the glass, rolling to the rim, and dominating inside will get Ayton more touches. If he is bought in on both ends, the ball will find him.

Tuesday’s win over the Timberwolves proved it. His 11 shots were the third most on the team. The result was a dominant win over one of the best teams in the West. It is all coming together, and credit to Ayton for making the shift.

The Los Angeles Lakers finally got the Deandre Ayton they’ve been asking for all season, and the results was a blowout win over an elite team. Fans shouldn’t be surprised. Ayton can be elite in his role if he commits to playing it. All supporters can do is hope this is the start of something special. Only time will tell if this was a one-time occurrence or something more sustainable.