The Los Angeles Lakers are still battling for playoff seeding, with the Western Conference standings remaining wide open. The Lakers are in a strong position to contend, which is exactly what LeBron James wants to be a part of.
“LeBron wants to compete for a championship,” Rich Paul told ESPN. “He knows the Lakers are building for the future. He understands that, but he values a realistic chance of winning it all. We are very appreciative of the partnership that we've had for eight years with Jeanie [Buss] and Rob [Pelinka] and consider the Lakers as a critical part of his career.”
One issue that has kept the Lakers from reaching their full potential has been the play of center Deandre Ayton.
“Los Angeles has been better off for it too. Ayton (-47) has the worst plus-minus of any Laker since the All-Star break. Hayes has the best one on the team (+73), by contrast. Ayton also possesses the worst net rating (-12.4) of any player who has averaged at least 10 minutes per game since the break. Predictably, Hayes is the best in that category too, posting a mark of 30.0,” Lake Show Life’s Svyatoslav Rovenchuk wrote.
There is growing belief that the Lakers may not have much playoff success unless Ayton is removed from the starting lineup.
“Hayes is also on an expiring deal heading into this summer. If he's given the keys to that starting center spot, the motivation to keep that role will be higher than ever before,” Lake Show Life’s Chris Lambert wrote. “As far as raw talent goes, Ayton has Hayes by a fair bit. Where Hayes has the edge over Ayton right now is work ethic and fit in the Lakers' starting five. If the Lakers are serious about pushing for a title this season, it's going to involve risks. Giving Hayes the keys to the starting center spot is a risk worth taking.”
Ayton began the season with a noticeably different mindset compared to previous years, but he has recently slipped back into some of his old habits. The former first overall pick has never been great at hiding his emotions on the court.
The Lakers are a veteran team and hoped that environment would help Ayton maintain a new approach, but the change has only lasted for a short time. If the Lakers want to make a deep playoff run, they will need to find a way to reignite Ayton’s focus and consistency.