The Los Angeles Lakers got a monster performance from Deandre Ayton in a dominant win over the Atlanta Hawks, and James Worthy was not afraid to call the big man out on the postgame show. The Hall of Famer made it clear that the purple and gold need the Ayton fans saw on Tuesday night. The seven-footer was playing with energy, cleaning the glasses, and converting easy buckets. Lakers fans already know that Ayton makes LA virtually unbeatable.
Sadly, the Lakers never know when they are getting that version. Los Angeles is 15-1 when Ayton scores 15 or more points. They are 9-1 when he grabs 11 or more rebounds. The former number one overall draft pick is a game-changer when he’s fully engaged, but fans have seen what happens when he’s not during a recent cold stretch.
The Lakers got DominAyton on Tuesday night, and he keyed a 25-point win over the Hawks. Worthy won three NBA championships during his playing days and quickly noted that Los Angeles needed this version of Ayton and even gave the coaching staff a tip on how to bring the best out of him.
James Worthy says the Lakers need this Deandre Ayton
The Hall of Famer hit the nail on the head with his postgame quote on Ayton.
“I don’t think they can succeed without Ayton’s play like this. You need a big man who is a threat in the paint or around that elbow area. He also makes good passes. When he is motivated and feels like he’s needed, he plays well and hard.”
Worthy continued to say the Lakers have to use him right to continue to get this type of production from Ayton. Getting him involved early and making sure he touches the ball are musts if the big man is going to stay engaged.
Los Angeles knew he had effort, focus, and production issues before acquiring him. It made this a risky move, but Luka Doncic wanted a center. Ayton is an elite talent, and the Lakers must maximize it. Head coach JJ Redick struggled to do so as the Lakers lost six of their last ten coming into Tuesday night. Hopefully, the monster night was the shift the Lakers need.
Worthy was not the only one to make it clear that the Lakers need Ayton. Rich Paul says he must make smart plays on his new podcast with Max Kellerman. They need Ayton thriving as Luka’s pick-and-roll partner as he protects the rim and cleans the glass on the defensive end. Fans know the big man is capable, but doing it is a different story.
Ayton will continue to frustrate fans. That is the experience with the seven-footer. The Lakers must do more to get him going because they are virtually unbeatable when he has a monster night. It won’t be easy, but that is why JJ Redick gets paid millions.
Los Angeles Lakers fans know the team needs Deandre Ayton to be elite. The franchise has nobody else. Jaxson Hayes is a fine backup big man, but he can’t be trusted for significant playoff minutes.
That puts even more pressure on Ayton to succeed. It is him or going small. The Lakers have seen the flashes. Now, they must help him do it consistently. Sadly, that is easier said than done.