Deandre Ayton has openly admitted that he is not the primary option for the Los Angeles Lakers, embracing a team-first role.
Deandre Ayton has openly acknowledged that he is not the primary option for the Los Angeles Lakers, a realization that has transformed his game and impacted the team's recent success.
Deandre Ayton
Deandre Ayton
Deandre Ayton
MIN: 27.44
PTS: 12.49 (65.9%)
REB: 8.37
AS: 0.86
ST: 0.63
BL: 0.9
TO: 1.24
GM: 59
According to Dan Woike of The Athletic, Ayton decided to focus less on scoring and more on defense, rebounding, and high-effort plays.
"That's a fact. That is a true fact. But me, I scratched that, I took that out. I said ... when it comes to scoring, we don't need that. We need you to put that energy what you have for offense and into defense," Ayton said.
Ayton described how he had to be honest with himself and embrace a team-first mindset.
"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," he explained. "This team, you came here to be the effort guy and close out possessions, rebound. Run the damn floor hard as hell, make bigs work, make superstars work. And I'm having fun with it, I'm not gonna lie."
Credit AP - Scanpix
Earlier in the season, Ayton struggled with consistency. Despite flashes of dominance, his impact sometimes faded, and he publicly questioned his role as a rim-running center.
Since embracing his new role, Ayton has been more effective on both ends of the court. Over the last five games, he is averaging 11.8 points and 10.0 rebounds while shooting 67.5% from the field.
The shift has coincided with a team surge: the Lakers have won six straight games and nine of their last ten, improving to a 43-25 record.
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