"The ball finds energy. They believe in me when I'm down there and sealing and they see me running hard to the rim and crashing, they reward me. It was Ayton's first 20-10 game in nearly a month and, to him, proof of the role he should occupy for the Lakers more often."
"They're trying to make me Clint Capela. I'm not no Clint Capela! Though the glaring storyline coming out of the loss was how Luka Doncic passed up an open shot in the final seconds and instead dumped the ball off to LeBron James for a desperation heave, there was little attention paid to how Doncic got that open look to begin with."
"Coming out of the timeout, Ayton executed his part in Lakers coach JJ Redick's play with precision, running from the backcourt to the left wing and squaring his shoulders to set a hard pick on the Magic's Anthony Black to free up Doncic for a clean catch beyond the arc. Being a screen setter in clutch time is not what is supposed to be asked of a player who was the No. 1 pick in the 2018 draft."
Deandre Ayton produced an efficient 21 points on 11 field goal attempts and grabbed 13 rebounds in the Lakers' loss to Orlando, effectively countering the Magic's front line. Ayton expressed that his teammates reward his effort when he plays with energy, sealing defenders and crashing the boards. His 20-10 game marked his first in nearly a month. However, Ayton privately expressed frustration about his role, stating he shouldn't be limited to screen-setting duties like backup center Clint Capela. Despite his strong individual performance, the game's narrative focused on Luka Doncic's final possession rather than Ayton's contributions.
Read at ESPN.com
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