Every year, each team has hits and misses in free agency. Some gambles work out, and others don’t. While the Lakers still have some work to do with their roster, one area they look good in is the center position.
And that’s because Deandre Ayton has been so good.
Ayton has started in the 26 games he’s played so far this season and is averaging 14.8 points and 8.8 rebounds per game. While those numbers are typical for Ayton, he is producing at that level while playing the second-fewest minutes of his career
at 26.6 per game.
The reason for this is that his shot-making has been unreal for the purple and gold. Ayton is shooting a career-best 70% from the field.
Only his frontcourt teammate Jaxson Hayes has a better field goal percentage for the Lakers. Hayes is shooting 76% from the field, but that’s on 3.6 attempts a game compared to the 9.8 Ayton takes.
After LA’s bounce-back win against the Kings, head coach JJ Redick commended Ayton for being so good this season.
“He really has been as consistent as anyone on our team with his play and his approach,” Redick said. “He’s been fantastic for us all season. To have a guy that is going to play 30 to 34 minutes and gets you a double-double almost every night, we don’t take it for granted. He’s had a great, not a good season, a great season for us. I love him in that short roll area. I don’t know if it’s his first, but it’s certainly the first that I remember, first lob pass for a dunk in that short roll area. But his touch is just, it’s unique. It’s one of one.
“Or maybe there’s [Nikola] Jokic, I guess, but for a guy that size, he’s just got great touch in that sort of six to 10 foot range and really has been an outlet for us not only in pick and roll and short roll, but also out of the post. He’s done a really nice job of flashing the basketball when his man kind of sinks a little bit too low and we’ve gotten good stuff out of that.”
Prior to this season, the center spot has been one where the Lakers always felt they were lacking. Anthony Davis certainly thought so when he was a Laker. He literally went on television and asked for a backup big during his final weeks in LA.
After the Davis-Luka Dončić trade, the Lakers continued their pursuit of a center and traded for Mark Williams, only to rescind the deal.
This season, they brought back Hayes and added Ayton, and it’s worked better than most would’ve predicted.
Now, a position that was a weakness is a strength, and another big is low on this team’s priority list of needs.
Everyone involved deserves credit for this Ayton acquisition working. From the front office for taking the chance, to Redick for optimizing Ayton’s skillset, to Ayton himself, taking advantage of this opportunity.
He said he wanted to “prove the world wrong” by coming to LA and playing well and he’s certainly accomplished that goal so far.
And all signs indicate this redemption season will continue, and that the Lakers will benefit from his elite play, incredible scoring efficiency and lively, fun attitude.
You can follow Edwin on Twitter at @ECreates88 or on Bluesky at @ecreates88.bsky.social.
