LOS ANGELES – One of the prevailing storylines surrounding the Los Angeles Lakers this season is the need for more consistent play out of Deandre Ayton. With the final stretch of the regular season approaching, the Ayton experiment has been a mixed bag for the Lakers.
There have been games when Ayton has looked like one of the best centers in the NBA and a consistent 20-point, 10+ rebound player. And then there are games where he’s been somewhat invisible on the court. Now some of that has to do with matchups and opponents that Ayton is better suited against. But the fact, remains, the Lakers are better and more formidable team when he is engaged and making an impact on both ends of the court.
Prior to the Lakers’ game against the New York Knicks on Sunday, head coach JJ Redick spoke about the consistent messaging the team has had all season in regards to getting the most out of Deandre Ayton.
“Our staff and his teammates, we certainly place an emphasis on getting him the ball in pick and roll, when he has opportunities to duck in versus switching, or even if he gets an early seal in transition. That’s something we talk about a lot,” Redick said during his pregame press conference. “I think the way we’ve coached him has been very consistent. So ultimately, the player has to be consistent. And that’s not a knock on DA, that’s just the NBA.
“We’ve been very consistent with how we’ve coached him. We recognized early that, that was, maybe not a change, but something we had to be adaptable with. I think we’re hopeful and optimistic that we’re going to get a consistent version of him down the stretch of the season.”
To this point, Ayton has appeared in 54 games at a little over 27 minutes per game. He’s been averaging 12.6 points and 8.2 rebounds with splits of 66.7 percent shooting from the field and 66 percent shooting from the free-throw line.
Last week, Ayton drew attention to himself for suggesting the Lakers were trying to turn him into Clint Capela, and how that isn’t his game.
This season, Ayton’s points per game and shot attempts (8.6 per game) are both career-lows. But some of that was to be expected when playing alongside on-ball threats such as Luka Doncic, LeBron James and Austin Reaves.
But according to the numbers, Ayton has been one of the most impactful defensive players on the Lakers’ roster. In terms of the regular rotation players, he is third behind only Jarred Vanderbilt and Luka Doncic, respectively, in defensive rating at 115.0. He’s provided the Lakers with an interior anchor on that end.
This coming offseason, Ayton will have a decision to make as he has a player option for the 2026-27 season. His play to end the year and into the playoffs might go a long way towards his future on this Lakers team.
