Deandre Ayton enjoyed his best game to date for the Los Angeles Lakers in a win over the Sacramento Kings.
Deandre Ayton has shown that he is starting to get comfortable with the Los Angeles Lakers as his reunion with his former team, the Portland Trail Blazers, looms.
After a tough opening game against the Warriors, Ayton helped the Lakers win their last two games.
He scored 22 points against the Kings, supporting Austin Reaves’ 51 points in the team’s 127-120 victory.
Ayton finished with a 22-15-2 record and also contributed one steal and one block. He became the Lakers’ second-highest scorer that night.
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Deandre Ayton is still adjusting to life with the Lakers and has yet to play in a game with LeBron James out with an injury.
The Lakers will be without James and Luka Doncic against the Kings, with both players expected to be out next week.
So he’s seeing the ball a little bit better now than he did when both players returned to the game.
However, former Lakers star Derek Fisher doesn’t think that’s a problem because he was used to playing with ball-dominant players during his time with the Phoenix Suns.
Fisher said on the Lakers’ postgame show on Spectrum that other centers can have a hard time in this situation.
“A lot of big players have struggled for years without getting touches. DeAndre, you think about the great players he played with. He’s used to being successful without the ball in his hands. He’s used to being successful without the ball in his hands.
“He’s shown a lot of his flashes so far in the first three games.”
Lakers legend James Worthy complained after the Lakers’ season opener that head coach J.J. Redick wasn’t using Ayton effectively.
After watching the Lakers’ past two wins, Worthy is very happy with what he’s seeing and believes the player deserves credit.
“When you’re just active, when you’re active and doing everything to the best of your ability, good things happen, and that’s what he’s doing,” he said.
“He’s doing his job, setting picks, diving in the post, working hard.
“Regardless of whether he’s successful or not, he’s going to bring his defense with him. He’s playing smart basketball right now until he synergizes with the team.”