Los Angeles Lakers fans have gone from raving about Deandre Ayton’s signing to wishing he was never on the team. It has been a huge fall from grace for the former first overall pick. Meanwhile, Ayton seems to have had a big moment of self-reflection about his tenure with the Lakers, which has drastically changed his perspective.
Advertisement
Los Angeles had a clear hole at the center position last offseason. It was clear that once the trade for Mark Williams fell through, the Lakers had to pivot to pair Luka Doncic with a big man who complements his skill set. That addition came in the form of Deandre Ayton. Unfortunately, he has not lived up to the idea of what he could’ve been on the team.
Despite playing alongside exceptional playmakers in Doncic and LeBron James, Ayton is having the worst year of his career statistically, averaging just 12.5 points along with 8.4 rebounds. That isn’t terrible counting stats, but the 7-foot big man has struggled to provide a substantial impact on the court.
He is currently posting a plus/minus of -6.7 and has an expected wins mark of -16 according to Cleaning The Glass. The now viral Clint Capela comments haven’t helped his reputation either. Nonetheless, Ayton has now taken the time to look at himself rather than blaming others and has come to an incredibly vulnerable conclusion.
“I just started looking in the mirror and said, ‘Yo, you’re not that guy,'” Ayton told The Athletic’s Dan Woike. “You don’t need to be on this team doing that at all. This team, you came here to be the effort guy.”
Deandre Ayton says he finally realized that he’s not that guy.
“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.’”
(Via @DanWoikeSports / h/t… pic.twitter.com/yvFCE7X72H
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) March 18, 2026
It’s quite an humble thing for a player of Ayton’s magnitude to say. Yes, he has never been a superstar player, but he has had the talent to get there. For the entirety of his career, he has been pushed as a player who could be a premier figure on a team. It’s hard for an athlete to simply rewire their brain, but Ayton understands that’s what’s needed if he hopes to help lead the Lakers to a deep postseason run.
“And I’ve completely … I bought in. Completely, like 110 percent. I hope you see the work,” Ayton proclaimed.
Hopefully, his actions follow suit because Ayton knows talk is cheap. What truly matters is if Ayton ups his game as the Lakers are also looking like legitimate contenders with everyone’s eyes on them for the rest of the season.
