Deandre Ayton will probably never take the next step in his career. He may just be an impressive center who falls short of true stardom. The Los Angeles Lakers and their fans understand what kind of player the 2018 No. 1 pick is, but they want him to play with obvious energy and happiness. He certainly did that during a thrilling third quarter sequence in Friday's thrilling 125-122 win against the Los Angeles Clippers.
Austin Reaves made a great outlet pass to LeBron James, who immediately passed the ball to Ayton. The alley-oop extended the Lakers' lead to 14 and electrified the home crowd at Crypto.com Arena, but it also demonstrated the impact the 27-year-old big man can have when his instincts are right. He ran the court beautifully and read James' eyes perfectly, and the end result was a big play that gave LA tremendous momentum (at least for a while).
Ayton was incredibly grateful to be a part of such a rhythmic experience on the basketball court, and it will stay with him for a long time. According to ESPN's Dave McMenamin, he said of the fast break, "It was one of the highlights of my career." "I needed that."
LeBron James throws it for Deandre Ayton SLAM 🍿😤
- ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) 21 February 2026
Deandre Ayton could be the X-factor on this team. If he can be at full strength, the Lakers should be a legitimate championship contender. But which version of the Ayton will appear on the floor?
The former Arizona Wildcats star recorded a modest 13 points and seven rebounds against the Clippers. His scoring is naturally going to be down with offensive dynamos like Luka Doncic, LeBron James and Austin Reeves, but he can still make a noticeable difference on the glass.
Ayton is posting a career-low 8.4 rebounds per game (his minutes are down a bit, but on a per 36 minutes basis the statement is still true). The Lakers grabbed 40.9 boards per contest, which ranked 28th in the NBA. They need to be stronger in the paint.
He has averaged a double-double in his career. This is not a role player. Now is the time for him to remind everyone what he is capable of achieving. Perhaps Alley could be the harbinger of a Deandre Ayton renaissance.
Obviously this drama left an impact on him. Los Angeles (34-21) will look to build on that lead when they host the Boston Celtics (36-19) this Sunday night.
