The injuries to Luka Dončić and Austin Reaves mean the asks of the Lakers’ role players have increased, both in terms of responsibilities and expected production.
For a player like Deandre Ayton, who has been under a microscope for most of the season, it puts even more pressure on him, which can lead to a wide variance of outcomes. But through one game, it could hardly have been better.
Ayton went toe-to-toe with the Rockets frontcourt, finishing with 19 points and 11 rebounds. That also doesn’t capture his impact defensively, where he helped the purple and gold force Houston into just 37.6% shooting. All of that helped add up to a win for LA in Game 1 on Saturday.
In a year full of ups and downs, Ayton is riding high into the postseason, a result of positive reinforcement and belief from the coaching staff.
“I could feel the trust JJ had me all practice this week,” Ayton said. “It does a lot giving an NBA player confidence, especially in this league. I really tried my best to show him that I’m here, I’m ready throughout those practices, just being super and extremely consistent. I couldn’t wait to beat up on somebody else.”
The Lakers have spent much of the season trying to get the most out of Ayton by any means possible. At times, it’s been in the way of wearing silly shirts. Other times, it’s been giving him crunk juice. But if the end result is play like this in the postseason, the absurd things they’ve done will be worth it.
Any chance of the Lakers advancing in the playoffs requires Ayton being at his best. Because when he is at his best, the Lakers are at their best.
“He was great,” Redick said of Ayton’s Game 1 performance. “I think he was great on both ends. Again, we’re at our best when he’s playing at a high level.”
Relying on him comes with lots of risks. But the Lakers aren’t in a position where they have other options. So long as Luka and Austin are out, they need Ayton to step up.
Through one game, he held up his end of the bargain. If he keeps doing so, then the purple and gold could really be in business.
You can follow Jacob on Twitter at @JacobRude or on Bluesky at @jacobrude.bsky.social.
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