Deandre Ayton, Lakers X Factor
Getty
Deandre Ayton of the Los Angeles Lakers battles Jalen Smith of the Chicago Bulls for position.
The Los Angeles Lakers rely heavily on the star power of Luka Dončić, LeBron James and Austin Reaves as they battle for playoff positioning in the Western Conference.
But inside the locker room, one teammate has increasingly been viewed as the player who could ultimately determine just how high the Lakers’ ceiling goes.
That player is Deandre Ayton.
Reaves made that sentiment clear earlier this season.
“That guy right there is the X factor,” Reaves told ESPN on Feb. 26 while gesturing toward Ayton. “He changes our ceiling.”
Recent performances — and the numbers behind them — are beginning to show exactly why.
Numbers Highlight Ayton’s Importance
GettyLos Angeles Lakers center Deandre Ayton dunks during the second half of an NBA basketball game against the Minnesota Timberwolves at Crypto.com Arena.
Ayton delivered one of his strongest outings of the season in the Lakers’ victory over the Chicago Bulls, finishing with 23 points and 10 rebounds.
The performance marked his 12th game this season with at least 20 points and 10 rebounds, underscoring the impact the 7-foot center can have when he plays with consistent energy.
More telling than the box score, however, are the team’s results when Ayton is active both on the glass and offensively.
According to reporting by Khobi Price of the California Post, the Lakers’ record shifts dramatically depending on Ayton’s involvement.
Los Angeles is:
27–8 when Ayton grabs at least eight rebounds
24–9 when he takes at least eight shots
22–6 when he records both eight rebounds and eight shot attempts
Those splits suggest that when Ayton plays aggressively — pursuing rebounds, finishing inside and staying involved in the offense — the Lakers become a far more difficult team to beat.
Ayton Says He Needed to Raise His Energy
Ayton acknowledged recently that he felt he needed to elevate his level of urgency as the Lakers intensified their push toward the postseason.
“[I] felt like I picked up my energy and my focus,” Ayton said after the win over Chicago. “And I finally caught up with the team. That’s about it.”
In that game, Ayton’s activity level was especially noticeable on the offensive glass. Six of his rebounds came on that end of the floor, creating extra possessions for Los Angeles.
The performance reflected a broader shift in how he has been playing in recent games — rolling harder to the rim, chasing rebounds and imposing his size inside.
Interior Presence Changes Lakers’ Ceiling
While the Lakers’ offense often runs through their perimeter stars, Ayton provides an entirely different dimension.
His size and physicality allow Los Angeles to compete against elite frontcourts across the Western Conference.
Head coach JJ Redick said the team understands the importance of Ayton performing at a high level.
“As a team, we have been trying to find and build toward consistency — that’s the individual, that’s the group,” Redick said. “We know what DA is capable of. I think Austin said this recently: he is an X factor for us, if not the X factor. Because him playing at a high level raises our ceiling. It changes the makeup of our team.”
Ayton has already demonstrated that impact in matchups against elite centers such as Rudy Gobert, helping the Lakers control the paint in several key games this season.
Lakers Enter Crucial Stretch
Ayton’s importance could grow even more significant down the stretch of the regular season.
The Lakers are tied with the Houston Rockets for the No. 3 seed in the Western Conference with just 16 games remaining, and their closing stretch ranks as the 11th-toughest remaining schedule in the NBA.
That difficult run continues Saturday with a key matchup against the Denver Nuggets, who trail the Lakers by 1.5 games in the standings.
The game will also feature one of the league’s most intriguing frontcourt battles, with Ayton matched up against three-time MVP Nikola Jokić.
For a team navigating a crowded Western Conference playoff race, Ayton’s role could become even more important.
When the Lakers’ perimeter stars struggle to find a rhythm offensively, Ayton provides an interior option capable of generating points through rim rolls, post seals and second-chance opportunities.
Dončić highlighted that physical presence after Ayton’s performance against Chicago.
“He saw a small guy and he was just playing bully ball down there,” Dončić said. “Kind of fed him a couple times. He’s been doing an amazing job.”
Dončić, Reaves and James remain the driving forces behind the Lakers’ offense.
But if Ayton continues to produce at the level he has recently — rebounding aggressively and finishing inside — the numbers suggest he could be the player who ultimately determines how far Los Angeles can go this season.