It was no secret, JJ Redick had been preaching it since Day 1: The Lakers didn’t need Deandre Ayton to be a star, they just needed him to thrive in his role. Set picks. Roll hard to the rim. Defend the rim. Rebound. Do that, and this team wins.
It took a while for “I’m not Clint Capela” Ayton to buy in. This was a different role than even the one he accepted with the Chris Paul/Devin Booker Phoenix Suns, a team that reached the NBA Finals with Ayton setting picks, rolling hard to the rim and defending.
However, during this recent run — in which the Lakers have gone 9-1 in their last 10 and have the league’s sixth-best defense during that stretch — the Lakers have finally gotten the Ayton they needed. He was at the heart of recent wins against the Knicks, Timberwolves, Nuggets and Rockets. Ayton spoke to Dan Woike of The Athletic about filling his role and understanding how he can impact a game without scoring.
“And I’ve completely … I bought in. Completely, like 110 percent. I hope you see the work.”
“I just started looking in the mirror and said ‘Yo bro, … you’re not that guy. You don’t need to be on this team doing that at all. This team, you came here to be the effort guy and close out possessions, rebound. Run the damn floor hard as hell, make bigs work, make superstars work.
“And I’m having fun with it, I’m not gonna lie.”
A lot of things are going right in Los Angeles: Luka Doncic is looking like a guy who belongs on the MVP ballot, Austin Reaves is healthy and a clear No. 2 option (about to get paid this summer), and LeBron James has accepted his role and is diving on the floor after loose balls. However, none of it works if Ayton isn’t the glue in the paint, providing the size and energy the team needs. He hasn’t done that consistently this season, and Redick has either put Jaxson Hayes in the mix or tried to play small. Those are not solutions. The Lakers need Ayton to thrive.
When it’s all going right, as it has recently, the Lakers look like the third-best team in the West and a team that can push Oklahoma City or San Antonio in a series. That said, there will be no easy rounds in the West — if the playoffs started today, the Lakers would face a Timberwolves team that knocked them out of the playoffs a season ago — and consistency has been an issue for these Lakers this season and Ayton in his career. It’s fair to have questions.
But when Ayton is playing like this, when he is fully buying into his role, this Lakers team is very good and a threat to make a playoff run.
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