Overview
- Through 13 games, Ayton is averaging 16.2 points and 8.4 rebounds while providing the interior presence Los Angeles sought.
- Ayton said he is growing comfortable in pick‑and‑roll actions with Luka Dončić and Austin Reaves, trusting them to create as emphasized by JJ Redick.
- Before a recent win, Redick wore a custom shirt featuring Ayton as a lion and said, “We want him to be the lion,” signaling the role the Lakers expect.
- Data cited in coverage shows Reaves and Dončić each delivered 85 passes to Ayton, leading to 28 made shots on 41 attempts from those feeds.
- Analysts Paul Pierce and Danny Green framed this as a make‑or‑break year for Ayton given his contract trajectory and past perceptions, while Reaves said the negative labels have been the “completely opposite” in L.A.