Following the Los Angeles Lakers' loss to the Orlando Magic on Tuesday, Deandre Ayton was heard saying the team has put him in a Clint Capela-like role. Capela, who is currently playing for the Houston Rockets, has made his career as a big man who does the dirty work on the glass and on the defensive end.
Capela was never a major scoring threat in the NBA, and he was never one to take many shots during a game. His career average is 8.1 field goal attempts per game, and in his 12-year career so far, he has only had two seasons where he made double-digit shot attempts.
But then again, Capela was a late first-round draft pick. He was not expected to become any kind of star player. He always knew what his role was in the NBA and he played that role well. Ayton, on the other hand, was the No. 1 overall pick in the 2018 NBA draft. There has only been one season in his eight-year career where he has attempted fewer than 10 shots per game, and that is this season with the Lakers.
When the Lakers initially signed Ayton as a free agent last offseason, it wasn't without some doubts. His previous stints with the Phoenix Suns and Portland Trail Blazers were marred by alleged behavioral issues. But Ayton insisted he knew what was at stake in terms of his career when he joined the Lakers.
And now, more than halfway through the season, some of those issues are starting to resurface. But if DeAndre Ayton wants to continue to shape his image and the overall perception of him in a good way, he needs to embrace Clint Capela's role for the Lakers.
Deandre Ayton becoming Clint Capela would help the Lakers
The way Ayton referred to his role in Capela's transformation made it seem like he was a player of his caliber. But beyond all that, Capela actually played a major role as the starting center during a period when the Rockets were viewed as a legitimate contender in the Western Conference.
His Rockets career averages are 11.1 points, 9.0 rebounds and 1.4 blocked shots while shooting 61.4 percent from the field. During the playoffs, he averaged 8.5 points, 8.4 rebounds and 1.3 blocked shots making 60.2 percent of his shots from the field. Again, Capela knew his role and played it to perfection.
According to Daniel Starkund of Lakers Nation, coming into this season, Ayton himself knew he would have to sacrifice some of his offense while playing alongside Luka Doncic, LeBron James and Austin Reaves. The same three players will have the ball in their hands most of the time and will take the lion's share of shot attempts. This is not a bad thing and this is how the Lakers should operate.
Ayton has already shown that he can be a good defensive anchor for the Lakers team. He has shown he can be employed on both ends of the court and on the glass. Before the Lakers' matchup against the Atlanta Hawks on January 13, head coach JJ Redick mentioned how Ayton couldn't fool anyone by giving up effort on the defensive end on a consistent basis.
"When he's been engaged, he's been good. There are some technical things we've worked on with him throughout the season, both in his individual workouts and in our defensive circles," Redick said. "It's just more consistency. He's shown he can do that... DeAndre has shown it himself. He can be a really good defender."
For a Lakers team that has faced problems defensively, Ayton could be the one that can make a big difference. It's just that he has become more active on the defensive end when he is getting more consistent shot attempts.
However, there is a trade-off to this. Ayton is attempting a career-low 9.0 shots, but he is shooting a career-high 66.7 percent from the field. Playing alongside creators like Doncic, James and Reeves, the quality of his looks is going to be better.
Capela's embrace of a role of playing strong defense and driving hard on the glass is important not only to raising the team's ceiling, but also to furthering his NBA career. Should Ayton exercise his team option, he potentially has one more year remaining on his signed contract with the Lakers.
Whether he stays with the Lakers or chooses to go elsewhere, if he can show that he is capable of playing a Capela-like role, he will find a place in the league. The NBA is often a rude awakening for those who are accustomed to having the ball in their hands and being the primary offensive option. That was Ayton's role during his lone season in Arizona. That was his role in high school.
But in the NBA, players don't become No. 1 options at the end of their careers. It's either there or it's not. And Ayton has the potential to be a good complimentary player on a winning team. He just needs to understand this before it's too late.
