The Los Angeles Lakers' signing of Deandre Ayton keeps looking worse, and fans are getting fed up with his play. The seven-footer is immensely talented, but he has struggled with his attitude and effort in his previous stops. There is a reason a former number one overall draft pick in his prime was available on the buyout market. Lakers fans saw some cracks early in the season, but things are only getting worse.
Head coach JJ Redick has benched Ayton down the stretch in two of the last five games. He was blunt about Jaxson Hayes outplaying him the first time. Ayton’s effort is a massive problem, especially with the Lakers wanting to contend and lacking perimeter defensive talent.
Fans know the Lakers need Ayton to protect the rim, rebound, and be Luka Doncic’s pick-and-roll partner. Sadly, the big man is hurting the team whenever he’s on the court. The numbers are only getting worse, and LA supporters should be upset about his play.
Deandre Ayton situation is only getting worse for the Lakers
It doesn’t take long to find frustrated Lakers fans complaining about Ayton on social media. His lack of effort and awareness are problems. The big man gives up too many easy buckets and rebounds.
Lakers fans won’t be surprised to know that the team has a negative net rating with him on the floor for the season. They are 1.3 points per 100 possessions better when he’s out of the game, and things are only getting worse. Over his last 15 games, Los Angeles has been outscored by 55 points in Ayton’s 438 minutes.
He has been far from DominAyton. Lakers fans don’t even know what to expect. In some games, the big man is locked in and a force on both ends of the floor. In others, he looks disinterested and has a negative impact. Inconsistency is the last thing a franchise with title dreams wants, especially from their defensive anchor.
The Lakers are 23rd in defensive rating for the season and 26th since the start of December. Ayton is a massive reason why. LA’s roster lacks a perimeter stopper and stout defensive-minded wings. They need a rim protector to clean up messes and end possessions. Ayton is not bringing it, and his activity level is only getting worse.
He is not a featured part of the offense and shouldn’t be. The Lakers can’t feed the big man mid-range jumpers with Luka Doncic and LeBron James on the floor. Ayton must embrace cleaning the glass and getting easy buckets inside to get his numbers. He clearly wants more looks and is letting the lack of scoring chances impact his defense. That only makes the problems worse.
Lakers fans were just annoyed at first. Ayton would have an occasional head-scratching play, but was locked in to start his tenure in LA. They jumped out to a 14-4 start, but things flipped as soon as the calendar flipped to December. Ayton’s play dropped off, and the Lakers went with it.
The Los Angeles Lakers must sort this situation out. Jaxson Hayes is not a starting center, and they have no other option at the five. They must get more out of Deandre Ayton or search for an upgrade on the trade market. The latter may be the only fix if the Lakers want to be a serious contender. Will Rob Pelinka admit his mistake and correct it? Fans hope so, but all they can do is stay tuned to find out.