Center Deandre Ayton believes his on-court connection with guards Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves is finally taking shape as the Los Angeles Lakers settle into the 2025-26 schedule.
Speaking after Los Angeles’ victory over the Milwaukee Bucks on Nov. 15 at Fiserv Forum, Ayton explained that repeated reps have sharpened the trio’s pick-and-roll attack.
“They keep the defender on one side, I set the screen, then clear the lane,” Ayton said on Spectrum SportsNet. “My job is to dive hard, trust them to read the floor and finish plays. Coach JJ [Redick] keeps stressing that Luka and Austin are the primary creators, so I focus on getting them free and let them handle the rest.”
The 27-year-old big man noted that each ball-handler prefers a slightly different rhythm, but added that increased floor time is smoothing out any wrinkles. Ayton and Doncic rank among the league’s most efficient pick-and-roll tandems, and Reaves has recently mirrored that success with the former No. 1 overall pick.
Redick, who was photographed wearing a custom T-shirt featuring Ayton before the Bucks game, said the Lakers need the 7-footer to “play like a lion”—a mindset the coach believes will complement the playmaking of Doncic and Reaves while the team awaits LeBron James’ season debut.
Source: Lakers Nation
