The Los Angeles Lakers want Deandre Ayton to be a rim protector, rebounder and a lob risk for Luka Doncic and LeBron James. The 27-year-old heart desires one thing completely different for himself.
After a postgame outburst in entrance of reporters after Tuesday’s 110-109 loss to the Orlando Magic, it is clear that Ayton is sad along with his position. His historical past and the Lakers’ makes an attempt to encourage him counsel Ayton may merely lack the maturity to be the middle the crew desires.
Lakers use unconventional strategies to encourage Deandre Ayton
According to ESPN’s Dave McMenamin, the Lakers have used some uncommon ways to attempt to get the perfect out of Ayton, who was the No. 1 total choose within the 2018 draft.
“Rob Pelinka… commissioned a black T-shirt with a gold display screen print depicting half of a lion’s face and half of Ayton’s face that he introduced to the 27-year-old. Members of the coaching employees 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 earlier than video games.”
That is proper: “DA’s Crunk Juice.” It seems like a phrase you’d use to fireplace up a baby, not a 27-year-old man in his eighth NBA season. However that is the paradox of Ayton.
His athletic items are simple. Ayton is seven ft tall and weighs 260 kilos, but reportedly has a 43-inch vertical leap and sufficient physique management to show cartwheels within the locker room. He is averaging 13.2 factors and eight.5 rebounds for the Lakers on the primary yr of a two-year, $16.2M contract, the place Ayton holds a participant choice for 2026-27.
However he is proven large indicators of immaturity. In 2022, Ayton instructed ESPN that he performs the online game “NBA 2K” “at least four or five hours” every day. In his two seasons with the Portland Trail Blazers, Ayton was repeatedly fined for exhibiting up late to practices and crew flights, threw tantrums and skipped rehabilitation periods and as soon as missed a recreation as a result of the climate was too chilly.
Lakers want a crew participant at heart
After Ayton put up 21 factors and 13 rebounds Tuesday evening, he yelled, clearly audible to ready reporters, “They’re attempting to make me Clint Capela! I am not no Clint Capela!”
The Lakers may use prime Clint Capela greater than this model of Ayton. Capela was a rim-running, shot-blocking heart for the Houston Rockets and Atlanta Hawks who led the NBA in rebounding in 2021. He performed with offensive forces like James Harden and Chris Paul and bought most of his offensive touches on dives to the ring.
Ayton is capturing a formidable 66.7 % this season, however he hardly ever shoots from greater than 10 ft from the basket and averages lower than one help per recreation. Regardless of his measurement, he blocks solely 0.9 pictures per recreation.
The “NBA 2K” model of Ayton could be unstoppable, however within the fashionable NBA, it is unrealistic to anticipate a crew to repeatedly feed a restricted huge man — particularly with Doncic, James and Austin Reaves as superior choices.
The large man’s obvious unhappiness makes it questionable whether or not Ayton will choose up his choice for subsequent season, however after the Phoenix Suns traded him and the Path Blazers purchased out his contract final summer time, is there a marketplace for a participant with an inflated thought of his expertise and unwillingness to alter?
Neither Ayton nor the Lakers are proud of this season. If Ayton would not embrace his internal Clint Capela, they could be taking a look at one other first-round exit.
