The Los Angeles Lakers kicked off their preseason slate with a loss to the Phoenix Suns on Friday night, which was the first look at new starting center Deandre Ayton in purple and gold.
Ayton has been known for his offense early in his career, but it was his defense that impressed in this one. Ayton finished with just one point on 0-of-2 shooting with four turnovers. In 18 minutes of action though, he contributed eight rebounds, two blocks and an assist.
After the game, Ayton talked about how his focus was on the defensive end to embrace his new role on this team.
“I wanted to show the team I’m more committed on the defensive end than the offensive end, in a way. Like I said from the get go, I’m not really here for numbers,” Ayton said. “I’m just here for whatever the Lakers want me to do and the main objective is really protecting that rim and closing out possessions. I had fun, man, just blocked some shots and being that anchor, seeing how the guys responded to me, the terminology and stuff that I needed to get out and just be out in our offense and create from our defense. So it was fun. It was fun tonight, honestly.”
Part of the reason Ayton decided to sign with the Lakers was to play alongside Luka Doncic and LeBron James. Neither of the Lakers’ top two playmakers suited up against the Suns though, which is why Ayton isn’t concerned about his long-term offensive outlook.
“It doesn’t matter if you’re scoring and shooting, shooting and scoring. You got Luka Doncic, you got LeBron James and Austin (Reaves). Trust those playmakers and if you get more than two shots then that was how the game was supposed to go,” Ayton said.
“JJ (Redick) is trusting these dudes to be our primary ball-handlers and me being the big man in the paint. So I’m absorbing all of that and yeah, it would probably be hard not to touch the ball with those great playmakers, to be honest.”
While a starting center scoring just one point and taking two shots certainly isn’t ideal, it was Ayton’s first chance to get his feet wet and the Lakers’ offense as a whole was out of sync without Doncic and James.
When those two return, it should help Ayton get some easy buckets. On Friday night though, his activity on the defensive end of the floor was certainly encouraging for L.A.
Deandre Ayton embracing pressure with Lakers
Playing for an organization like the Lakers comes with some added pressure, which Deandre Ayton is embracing.
“Honestly, pressure is a privilege and I’m in the right place to be where everything counts and the fans want us to win. And I’m here to just add to that legacy bringing a title here,” Ayton said at Lakers Media Day.
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