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Journalist Dave McMenamin
Several Contributors
AMONG THE MYRIAD missteps that doomed the Los Angeles Lakers in their agonizing defeat to the Orlando Magic on Tuesday, Deandre Ayton’s performance was certainly not one of them.
Quite the opposite, in fact.
The Lakers’ primary big man delivered 21 points on just 11 shot attempts and pulled down a game-high 13 rebounds, providing L.A. with a dynamic, engaged center to challenge Orlando’s robust frontcourt featuring Wendell Carter Jr., Paolo Banchero, and Jonathan Isaac.
When questioned about whether his noticeable effort led to more opportunities from his teammates, Ayton offered a measured response.
“Effort attracts the ball,” Ayton informed journalists. “They trust me when I’m positioned down low, setting seals, and they observe me hustling hard to the rim and crashing; they acknowledge that with passes.”
This marked Ayton’s inaugural 20-point, 10-rebound game in almost a month and, to him, it affirmed the role he believed he should more regularly inhabit for the Lakers.
After concluding his comments to the assembled press, Ayton proceeded towards the locker room showers, vocalizing his true sentiments — sufficiently loud for anyone remaining in the vicinity to overhear.
“They are trying to turn me into Clint Capela,” Ayton stated, referencing the current backup center for the Houston Rockets, who, a decade prior, was known for his contributions as a lob-threat and rim-runner on a team that reached two conference finals.
“I am not a Clint Capela!”
Although the primary narrative following the loss revolved around how Luka Doncic chose to pass up an open shot in the final moments, instead offloading the ball to LeBron James for a desperate attempt, scant attention was paid to the sequence that initially created Doncic’s uncontested look.
Following the timeout, Ayton flawlessly executed his assignment in Lakers coach JJ Redick’s designed play, sprinting from the backcourt to the left wing and squaring his stance to deliver a solid screen on the Magic’s Anthony Black, thereby freeing Doncic for a clear catch beyond the arc.
Being primarily a screen-setter in crucial moments is typically not the expectation for a player drafted as the No. 1 overall pick in 2018 — two selections ahead of his current teammate Doncic, three ahead of Jaren Jackson Jr., four ahead of Trae Young, 10 ahead of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, and 32 before Jalen Brunson. Ayton, however, has not cultivated the reputation of a leading star. Instead, he has become known as a talented but inconsistent player, the type who playfully performs cartwheels in the locker room and seems to vanish on the court for extended periods.
Marcus Smart, who also joined L.A. as a free agent last summer and whose locker is adjacent to Ayton’s, acknowledged room for improvement.
“I believe he’s performed adequately,” Smart commented this week. “He could definitely be better, as could all of us. But what I appreciate is that he comprehends this and is putting in the effort. We’re all in the process of adapting; this is new for everyone. He’s doing his best, but he recognizes there’s another level we require him to reach, and we intend to help him get there. Yet he also understands his responsibility to contribute.”
Or perhaps most critically, if he can embrace the role the Lakers envision for him.
IT WAS LESS than an hour before the scheduled start against the Atlanta Hawks on January 13 when Ayton entered the Lakers’ changing room.
Just beyond the entrance, Ayton’s casual stride momentarily faltered, and his posture abruptly stiffened for a few awkward steps before the towering player suddenly plunged towards the floor.
What might have become one of the most peculiar pregame injuries in NBA history transformed into something else entirely: Ayton broke his fall by placing both hands above his head and smoothly executed a cartwheel, followed by a somersault, landing securely on both feet.
“I hope that brightened your day!” Ayton exclaimed to the room after sticking the landing. “That was a 7-footer, weighing 260 pounds, who just performed a cartwheel!”
The whimsical entrance was almost as remarkable as the circumstances that led to the former top draft pick landing with the Lakers last summer.
The deliberate tumble offered a glimpse of the raw, athletic prowess that made Ayton the Phoenix Suns’ initial selection — and an illustration of a questionable public image that has persisted with him for years throughout the NBA.
Early in his career, he would occasionally adopt different personas when addressing reporters — “Alejandro,” who spoke with an accent, was a particular favorite; “Josh,” whose temperament could shift abruptly, was another — sources informed ESPN. He would sometimes maintain these characters when interacting with fellow players and coaches. With the Portland Trail Blazers, where he played from 2023 to 2025, he notably missed a home game against the Brooklyn Nets because he hadn’t prepared for the commute to the arena amid the freezing forecast and was reportedly stranded in his neighborhood due to snow and icy conditions.
However, when an athlete possesses a standing reach of 9 feet, 3 inches, a wingspan of 7 feet, 5 inches, and a 43-inch vertical leap, certain behaviors can be tolerated as minor quirks, rather than dismissed as unprofessional.
AUSTIN REAVES, GRADUALLY recovering from a left calf strain, paused his individual skill drills and settled into a courtside seat at Ball Arena. As he drew breath in the thin Denver air, his gaze fixed on a teammate intensely warming up before the game.
It was a week after the Hawks game — the evening that began with Ayton’s acrobatic moves and concluded with him tallying 17 points on 7-of-9 shooting and 18 rebounds — and the imposing player was consistently sinking midrange shots as the Lakers prepared to face the team that had eliminated them from the playoffs in 2023 and 2024.
“That individual right there is the crucial element,” Reaves stated to ESPN, motioning towards Ayton. “He significantly elevates our potential.”
Ayton’s performance this season has, by several metrics, been a triumph.
The Lakers boast a 16-3 record when Ayton attempts at least 10 field goals, but this statistic comes with a significant qualification: Only three of those victories occurred when James, Doncic, and Reaves were all also on the court. More scoring opportunities were available in those instances.
His averages stand at 13.2 points, 8.5 rebounds, and 0.9 blocks per contest. He has participated in 49 games, making him the second-most available player on the squad, surpassed only by Jake LaRavia.
While his average of 9.0 field goal attempts is a career low, he is converting a career-best 66.7% from the field. This ranks as the second-highest percentage in the NBA, trailing only the Minnesota Timberwolves’ Rudy Gobert, and, if maintained, would be the best by any Laker in a single season since Wilt Chamberlain in 1972-73.
However, his influence is assessed relative to what is expected, much like his team’s is.
Consider a hypothetical scenario: Team A is 11 games above .500 in the most formidable conference within the world’s most competitive basketball league, even though its top three players shared the court for only 13 of the first 57 games. A definite success story.
But once the Lakers designation is applied, and the star power of James, Doncic, and Reaves is factored into the equation, it simply doesn’t appear as impressive, regardless of context.
The same principle applies to Ayton, whose draft position and early playoff successes in Phoenix — aiding the Suns to their initial NBA Finals appearance in nearly three decades at age 22 — established the benchmark he must build upon to be perceived as fulfilling his capabilities.
“As a number one pick,” an anonymous Western Conference scout shared with ESPN, “he has largely fallen short of expectations.”
THE 2025-26 CAMPAIGN commenced promisingly for Ayton. He posted 20 points and 10 rebounds in six of the Lakers’ initial 15 matchups, including victories against teams featuring elite big men such as San Antonio Spurs star Victor Wembanyama and the Milwaukee Bucks’ Giannis Antetokounmpo.
Yet, the Lakers then compiled a 4-7 record from December 20 through January 12, and Ayton’s forward momentum also stalled.
After managing only four points on 2-of-4 shooting on January 2 against the Memphis Grizzlies, Ayton voiced a rare complaint.
“Big men cannot create their own scoring opportunities,” he remarked.
Redick — who has consistently supported him behind the scenes, according to sources close to Ayton who spoke with ESPN — calmly accepted the feedback. In a rematch with Memphis two nights later, Redick called the initial play for Ayton, and that early score propelled him to 15 points, eight rebounds, and three blocks for the game.
“It’s a familiar narrative for a center,” Redick observed. “That’s the reality of being a big: someone must pass you the ball. You aren’t initiating the offensive plays.”
An element of ego is also essential for thriving on the NBA stage. Similar to James’ “CHOSEN 1” tattoo that stretches across his shoulders, Ayton has “DOMINAYTON” emblazoned in jagged capital letters across his upper back.
The Lakers have also nurtured that self-assurance: Rob Pelinka, the team’s president of basketball operations and general manager, commissioned a black T-shirt featuring a gold screen print depicting half a lion’s face and half of Ayton’s face, which he presented to the 27-year-old. Members of the training staff wrap Ayton’s water bottle in athletic tape and write “DA’s Crunk Juice — Drink this to unleash the beast” in black marker on it before games.
The challenge for the Lakers lies in motivating Ayton to value the consistent effort and his designated role as much as he values accumulating points on the scoreboard.
“When he is performing at his peak, and we have witnessed it, we have seen glimpses, he plays with intensity,” a team insider shared with ESPN. “And that involves playing with significant force on both ends of the court when it pertains to screening. Then rolling and pressuring the rim; [when the] shot is attempted, crashing the boards; sprinting back in transition; positioning defensively; vocalizing communication; being correctly positioned; contesting shots; boxing out. For a skilled big man, these aspects are quite unglamorous. But on this particular team, that is his designated function.”
“He must be a tireless worker.”
Of all the demanding tasks Ayton has been assigned, he has excelled as a screen-setter. He has initiated 15.7 on-ball screens per game for Doncic — the third most among duos who have run 200 or more plays together this season, according to ESPN Research. He has also averaged 3.7 screen assists — a pick that directly leads to a player converting a field goal — this season, which is the fourth highest in the league.
“He performs exceptionally well at initiating contact and dislodging defenders to enable our playmakers to execute,” a team source informed ESPN. “And it is something that, frankly, he has demonstrated considerable dedication to.”
Team sources indicated to ESPN that when Ayton brings vigor to these duties, the big man earns more playing time and, consequently, receives more passes from his teammates.
When he falters, the disparity is readily apparent.
“He selectively decides when he wants to fully engage and compete,” the Western scout further added. “Which is contrary to what most dominant centers typically do.”
AYTON SPENT HIS All-Star break in his native Bahamas, undergoing rehabilitation for the right knee soreness that led him to miss two games.
En route back to Los Angeles, he was briefly held at Lynden Pindling International Airport in Nassau for “a very small quantity of marijuana [that] was not found in Deandre’s bag,” his attorney, Devard Francis, disclosed to Reuters.
Ayton was swiftly released, according to Francis, and sources told ESPN he returned to L.A. without missing any team activities. The Lakers regard the incident as a misunderstanding and have moved past it, a source familiar with the organization’s perspective stated.
In his initial practice upon rejoining the squad, he exhibited everything the coaching staff desired.
“He appeared to be in good physical condition,” a team source commented. “He was energetic. He displayed a positive demeanor.”
This carried over into the Lakers’ first game after the break, a 125-122 victory against the LA Clippers, where Ayton produced the night’s highlight by sprinting the length of the court and soaring through the air to complete an alley-oop from James. He also remained on the court to close out the game. He played 10 of 12 minutes in the fourth quarter and was the sole Lakers starter with a positive plus-minus in the final period, concluding the contest with 13 points, seven rebounds, and a block.
“DA was outstanding,” Redick remarked. “Highly focused, and simply capable of executing our defensive strategy at an exceptionally high standard.”
However, in the Lakers’ subsequent game — a 111-89 defeat to the rival Boston Celtics, with Lakers legends such as Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Magic Johnson, and James Worthy present for Pat Riley’s statue unveiling ceremony — Ayton finished with an equal number of fouls and points (four) and saw only three minutes of action in the fourth quarter.
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MacMahon: LeBron and Luka have ‘no kind of chemistry’
Tim MacMahon reacts to the Lakers’ final play vs. the Magic on Tuesday night.
This exemplifies the Lakers’ Ayton dilemma, one that both the Suns and Blazers experienced and ultimately moved on from — engaged and effective on one occasion, disengaged and absent on the next.
During the team’s film review session on Monday to analyze the Boston loss, Redick commended Ayton for his defensive presence, especially for his execution when the team switched assignments 1 through 5, but he also highlighted areas where Ayton’s effort was deficient.
“There was a particular sequence,” Redick recounted, “Jaylen Brown falls to the court. We have a 5-on-4 advantage, and [Ayton] moves at roughly 20% of his full speed, despite it clearly being a man-down scenario. So, concerning his running and pressuring the rim, and offensive rebounding, especially against switches and smaller opponents, he could perform better there.”
Ayton was hardly solely accountable for the defeat on a day when James, Doncic, and Reaves collectively shot 22-for-53 (41.5%). And Redick, justifiably, was merely attempting to find a winning combination when he experimented with different players late in the game.
“I fully support him,” Redick stated regarding Ayton. “These individuals, we strive to make them understand my objective is to help the Lakers secure victories. Therefore, nothing is ever personal.”
Now, as the sixth-seeded Lakers enter the most critical phase of the season with 25 games remaining, Ayton is also feeling the pressure.
If the Lakers embark on a successful run and Ayton fulfills his designated duties, his decision to forgo $10 million of his $35.6 million salary with the Blazers for 2025-26 to become a free agent could result in a new, multiyear contract this summer, whether in L.A. or elsewhere. However, if the team falters, Ayton’s contributions, or their absence, will be scrutinized by everyone across the league.
This, therefore, marks a precarious period. For the Lakers to achieve success, every player will need to embrace their role. But if the Lakers aren’t winning, every player vying for their next contract — like Ayton — will naturally feel compelled to play for their individual prospects.
It is what Ayton expressed he desired, at his introductory press conference in July. And now that aspiration will truly face its examination.
“It’s an opportunity I cannot shy away from,” Ayton affirmed. “I can demonstrate my true capabilities… There is considerable internal drive to prove myself to the entire world.”
Matt Williams of ESPN also contributed to this article.
