The skepticism around Deandre Ayton being a high-level contributor for the Lakers this upcoming season is both real and substantiated.
There is no need to go over every single data point fueling the doubts that follow Ayton to Los Angeles, but safe to say a former No. 1 overall pick who was unceremoniously traded away from the team that drafted him and then waived with over $30 million still owed to him by the team that had acquired him just two seasons prior is viewed as damaged goods for a reason.
When I vocally advocated for Ayton to make his way to the Lakers earlier this offseason — this was before he was bought out, by the way — I was not necessarily bombarded with “who is this dummy?” responses, but the folks who wanted no part of Ayton were not shy in explaining to me their reasoning, which is not only understandable but convincing! Again, this stuff is all well substantiated.
That said, after all the machinations that led to Ayton actually being signed by the Lakers, there has been a bit of a shift in the narrative back towards his direction. Not everyone is convinced, of course, and nor should they be.
But, from the comments he made when he was introduced after the trade, to the continuance of those same themes at the Lakers media day, and then through to his post-practice comments after the team’s first session when camp opened, Ayton has said all the right things about the role he’s expected to play, his desires to help the team in any way he can, and the general opportunity he has in front of him playing for this organization with these players on this team.
“Yeah, it’s the biggest opportunity I can say of my career,” Ayton said during media day. “You know, some people say it’s my last leg, some people say it’s my last chance. This is the opportunity I can say I’m truly not going to take for granted. It’s almost like a wounded animal. I feel all the tension and I know where I’m at.
“I’ve been in the gym every day and like I say, I’m somewhere where it counts now and I’m happy that everybody gets to see it and I’m happy where as a player, I get to get a chance to prove to prove something big on a big stage.”
Further, Ayton’s talked about “getting ready for whatever role they want me to play” while highlighting that whether it’s scoring, rebounding or defending, he will do his best to do what is asked of him and perform to the best of his ability.
If skepticism remains, I get it. Actions speak louder than words and for a player like Ayton — someone who has been dogged by issues of effort and commitment to not just doing the little things, but in staying focused on a possession-to-possession basis when he’s not a focal point of the offense — these sorts of comments can, for many, fall on deaf ears.
For me, however, I’m willing to give Ayton the benefit of the doubt that he’s going to work towards doing what is asked of him with a consistency that is closer to what he gave the Suns in the immediate aftermath of their trade for Chris Paul rather than what he showed in Portland these last two truncated seasons.
After all, he will be put into positions to succeed on offense as a finisher by playing next to Luka, LeBron, and Austin Reaves via their shot creation skills, to say nothing of the chances he will get on the offensive glass and vs. smaller defenders when defenses either send extra attention at the team’s trio of playmakers or when they switch to try to contain the ball. There are few, if any, players who are both more talented than Ayton and will also have a cleaner path towards being set up as a finisher the way he will.
And this is where his comments in the aftermath of coming to the Lakers and his history as a player who brings the sorts of concerns that he does now converge.
While Ayton will not be a number one — or even number two — option for the Lakers, his role as a primary screener for Luka, LeBron, and Austin will make him a critical part of the offense and while placing him in the middle of the action more than one might initially anticipate on a team with this many high usage perimeter players. He will get loads of finishing chances on lobs and dump-offs, to say nothing of passes in the pocket that lead him right into the foul line jumper he’s proven capable of knocking down consistently.
Also, as noted above, if teams try to switch or put two on the ball against Luka (and others), Ayton running free to the rim or with a chance to post up wings and guards should allow him to feast in and around the paint as a finisher while also getting to the offensive glass more easily.
Does all this alleviate concerns? Of course not. But I would argue that if Ayton requires a certain amount of offensive involvement to be engaged defensively or to generally play harder, he’ll likely find that with the Lakers, even if he’s not getting as many direct post-ups or being “featured” in the way that higher usage bigs like Jokic, Embiid or Anthony Davis might be.
Whether things play out this way remain to be seen, of course. Even if Ayton were to do all these things well, he still has flaws in his game and will not be perfect. His penchant to settle for mid-range jumpers and/or play away from contact offensively, his lack of high-end versatility defensively in how often he can switch or play up at the level of the ball defensively will lead to inconsistent production and schematic challenges that need to be accounted for. There will be frustrations at times, and when those come, his own perseverance will be tested as much as what comes from his coaches and teammates.
That said, the pathway for Ayton to be really good for the Lakers is right in front of him. And, if you listen to him tell it, he’s more ready than ever to run full speed into this opportunity and take advantage of it. Which, if it does happen, has the chance to not only elevate the Lakers into the class of teams who rightfully believe they can win the championship, but erase the skepticism that followed Ayton to Los Angeles in the first place.
You can follow Darius on BlueSky at @forumbluegold and find more of his Lakers coverage on the Laker Film Room Podcast.
