HOUSTON — Sometime after Deandre Ayton exited the Los Angeles Lakers’ road loss to the Denver Nuggets, the former No. 1 pick made a decision.
No longer, he thought, would he be a weight lagging behind his team. No longer would he worry about anything other than impacting winning. And no longer would he take for granted the opportunity to play meaningful basketball.
After one of his best weeks in a long time, Ayton found himself on the bench Monday against the Houston Rockets, with Clint Capela — of all people — looking more in rhythm and more impactful early. But with the Lakers getting crushed on the glass and desperately needing the interior presence, JJ Redick went back to his starting center.
And just like he did in wins against the New York Knicks, Minnesota Timberwolves and Denver, Ayton made winning plays to help the Lakers continue building momentum. It didn’t matter that he had spent most of the half on the bench — he stayed locked in with his team in case they called on his name.
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“I’m telling you, once I sit that long, that’s usually it,” Ayton joked with The Athletic. “It’s like … ‘You out (of the game) for a reason — go think about it. But lately it’s been like, ‘Nah, DA. You good.’
“And I’ve completely … I bought in. Completely, like 110 percent. I hope you see the work.”
There have been some stops and starts for the Lakers’ center. His energy and impact have fluctuated as the team has searched for a winning recipe.
At times, the Lakers have closed games with Ayton on the bench, instead turning to reserves Jaxson Hayes or Maxi Kleber. Other times, they’ve gone without a center. It’s notable that despite his inconsistencies, Ayton has found ways to regroup and reconnect.
Like many of the Lakers’ issues — balancing the workload between Luka Dončić, Austin Reaves and LeBron James, or figuring out who to defend without multiple plus on-ball defenders — getting Ayton comfortable in his role was always going to take time.
The Lakers don’t need Ayton to catch the ball off pick-and-roll in the pocket and splash 12-foot jumpers. They don’t need him stretching to the deep midrange, a shot he’s skilled enough to hit. They do need him to be active on defense, closing out possessions on one end and extending them on the others while setting screens and rolling hard to the rim.
It’s the stuff that might not always show up in the box score. For Ayton, it’s about relearning how he can impact a game without being the focal point offensively.
“That’s a fact. That is a true fact,” he told The Athletic Monday about scoring. “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.
“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. 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.”
Ayton is undoubtedly a ceiling-raiser for the Lakers — an X-factor as the team surges towards the postseason. Recently, he’s recommitted to playing with the energy his team needs as it sharpens its focus for the playoffs.
He’s admitted that he wasn’t always at that level. Now, Ayton says, he’s adjusted.
“JJ’s been instilling to us that this is a playoff atmosphere, and we fighting for a playoff position,” Ayton said. “You can tell LeBron’s been locked in, Luka — everybody’s been completely locked in, and I’m just tired of being the odd man out. I think I told the media the other day, it’s just me finally catching up.
“Team’s been there; it’s just been me.”
The Lakers (43-25) have won six straight and nine of their last 10, with strong performances from Ayton in recent games.
Wednesday will be Ayton’s 60th game this season — his most since his final season with the Phoenix Suns. Despite averaging career lows in minutes, points and rebounds, Ayton understands that a return to the playoffs and meaningful basketball is exactly why he wanted to be in Los Angeles.
Whether it’s a 23-point, 10-rebound game like he had against the undersized Chicago Bulls, a massive defensive effort in overtime against Nikola Jokić or a strong closing shift after a long break against the Rockets, Ayton has delivered when the Lakers have needed him.
“I was energized, and I was having fun,” Ayton said. “So I really like that the team is trusting me, man. I just don’t want to lose the trust, bro. That’s really what’s getting my juices going and me biting my fingernails waiting to get back in the damn game for real.
“Just getting back to having fun — I’m not gonna lie.”