Lakers’ Deandre Ayton Faces Escalating Scrutiny Over Fit, Effort and Role

Overview

• Zach Lowe panned Ayton’s development on his podcast, calling him “a lump of clay” and saying his defense and night-to-night impact have not met expectations.
• A viral timeout clip showed LeBron James staring at Ayton during the loss to the Kings, fueling fan speculation about Ayton’s standing with the team.
• Ex-Laker Markieff Morris said he and Luka Doncic reacted in disbelief to Ayton’s play in Portland, recounting they asked, “What the f*** was that?”
• Ayton voiced frustration about his touches, saying “Bigs can’t feed themselves,” while he averages roughly 13.9 points on 69.7% shooting with 8.5 rebounds this season.
• Coach J.J. Redick has leaned more on Jaxson Hayes, noting Hayes was “playing better,” a shift that underscores internal competition even as Ayton remains the starter.