Deandre Ayton Is Quieting the Noise and Powering Up for the Lakers
When the Lakers brought Deandre Ayton aboard this past summer-thanks to a buyout agreement with the Portland Trail Blazers-there was plenty of intrigue, but just as much skepticism. Ayton had shown flashes in Phoenix, but questions about consistency and motor followed him to Los Angeles. And when the early returns were underwhelming, those questions got louder.
Even Shaquille O’Neal, never one to mince words, called him out publicly. “You got to rebound, you got to block shots, and you got to dominate,” Shaq said, pointing out Ayton’s tendency to settle instead of imposing his size. The Hall of Famer’s message was blunt: stop fading away, start throwing it down.
To Ayton’s credit, he didn’t flinch. He listened-and responded.
Since that wake-up call, Ayton has flipped the switch. He’s been engaged, aggressive, and most importantly, impactful.
The version of Ayton the Lakers are getting now is the one teams dream of when they invest in a 7-footer with elite tools. He’s running the floor, protecting the rim, battling on the glass, and making himself a reliable target in the paint-especially when Luka Dončić and Austin Reaves collapse defenses and kick the ball inside.
And it’s not just the eye test. Around the team, there’s a growing sense that Ayton’s buy-in is real.
Head coach JJ Redick’s system asks a lot from its bigs-mobility, rim presence, and smart decision-making-and Ayton is delivering. He’s not just fitting in; he’s becoming a difference-maker.
There was a brief scare on Sunday night when Ayton appeared to tweak the same knee that had sidelined him earlier in the week against the Clippers. Late in the fourth quarter, he motioned to the bench and checked out. But after the game, he downplayed the incident, saying it was just a bump and that he was good to go.
“It cooled down… I’m good now,” Ayton told reporters, easing any concerns about a lingering issue.
That’s a relief for the Lakers, because they need this version of Ayton on the floor. With his size, touch, and renewed energy, he’s become a crucial part of what Los Angeles is building this season.
The early-season struggles? They’re starting to feel like a distant memory.
Ayton’s turnaround is more than just a hot streak-it’s a shift in trajectory. The narratives that once shadowed him are beginning to fall away, replaced by a player who’s showing up every night, putting in the work, and finally playing like the force he was always capable of becoming.
For the Lakers, this might just be their best move of the offseason.