It was a tough night for the Los Angeles Lakers as they lost 120-113 to the Denver Nuggets and Deandre Ayton exited with a knee injury. Before the injury, Ayton had received criticism from fans for his effort on the court. Marcus Smart discussed the criticism and talked about Ayton's game.
“I know as of lately he’s been getting a lot of backlash for his effort and his play. He understands it. I know it might not seem like it, but he does and he wants to do good and he wants to help this team” – Marcus Smart on Deandre Ayton pic.twitter.com/Sw8UGm30rz
— Dave McMenamin (@mcten) March 6, 2026
Smart was referring to both the injury and the earlier criticism. The Lakers were struggling to keep up with the Nuggets, and Ayton was unable to stay on the court, playing just four minutes. The good news right now is that Ayton's injury is not serious, but that has not quietted the comments about his overall effort.
Ayton gained some controversy recently for making comments about not wanting to be Clint Capella. He made those comments specifically referring to his role with the Lakers. Even Capella clapped back at Ayton for his remarks, starting a league-wide frenzy of players and fans roasting the Lakers' center.
Ayton is currently averaging 12.6 points and 8.2 rebounds per game while shooting 66.7% from the floor. Those numbers are down from his previous stats with other teams, as he has taken a back seat to LeBron James, Austin Reaves, and Luka Doncic. Many in the league are encouraging Ayton to accept this role and help the Lakers in any way he can.
Time will tell whether Ayton can accept this role and adapt to his status with the Lakers. With the Lakers currently sitting in sixth place in the Western Conference, they are going to need everyone to do their job to have a chance to get through the fearsome Western Conference.
