There were many question marks when the Lakers signed Deandre Ayton this offseason. The team hoped he could be the big man that Luka Doncic needed. Fortunately, he has been everything advertised and more until now. However, Ayton isn’t content with how things are currently going. He has a chip on his shoulder stemming from his first game with the Lakers.
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Ahead of the 2018 NBA Draft, many scouts projected Ayton to become the next star big man in the NBA. Of course, that hasn’t turned out to be the case. Although he has been quite decent, he has never made that jump that many experts and fans believed he was capable of.
Before he made his way to Los Angeles, he battled with narratives of laziness along with questions surrounding his motor. Unfortunately, his first game with his new team only amplified the noise in those areas.
The Lakers’ first game of the season resulted in a 119-109 loss to the Golden State Warriors. Ayton was a complete non-factor in 33 minutes. He finished with 10 points on an efficient 71.4% shooting, but lacked any sort of aggressiveness.
Fans of the Phoenix Suns and Portland Trail Blazers began preparing Lakers fans for the Ayton experience. However, he would flip the switch immediately after.
Fast forward to today, and Ayton has been one of the bright spots for the Lakers. Following the team’s recent victory over the New Orleans Pelicans, Ayton revealed how much the doubt from his season debut has fueled his performance thus far.
“I’m trying to play every game like it’s my last,” Ayton said to the media. “Hearing all the noise, especially after the first game. It just brought a lot of fumes to my fire.”
Ayton played just 26 minutes against the Pelicans before leaving the game due to some knee issues. He would still go on to finish the game with 22 points, 12 rebounds and four blocks. These types of numbers have become more common than not for Ayton.
So far in the 2025-26 season, Ayton is averaging 16.0 points, 8.6 rebounds and 1.1 blocks as the fourth option. That is a great contribution from Ayton in addition to what the Lakers are receiving from Luka Doncic, LeBron James and Austin Reaves.
The leadership of JJ Redick has ignited a fire within Ayton that has been lacking in his previous stops. Areas outside of offense have been Ayton’s weakness. However, this new mindset change has led to the 7-foot big man thriving throughout the basketball court.
“I just lock in on this defensive end, and the other end, I don’t worry about too much except setting screens and rolling,” Ayton said.
Ayton’s maturity has increased, and it’s on full display. This is more than what the Lakers could’ve asked for this early into their partnership with the former top overall pick. If he can continue to perform at this level, the Lakers may not have to look elsewhere for their center of the present and future.
