Luka Doncic and LeBron James say Deandre Ayton is already proving indispensable to the Los Angeles Lakers only weeks into the 2025-26 season.
Ayton, who arrived via a buyout with the Portland Trail Blazers during the offseason, missed one game with a knee contusion but returned Friday night to post 17 points and eight rebounds while shooting 8-for-9 in a victory over the Dallas Mavericks. The 7-footer’s efficient outing came after the Nov. 10 matchup in Charlotte, North Carolina, where the Lakers defeated the Hornets at Spectrum Center.
Doncic: “He’s been amazing”
“He’s been amazing for us the whole season,” Doncic said of Ayton. “Since the start until now, he’s been amazing. He will keep doing what he does. Sometimes I need to get him more looks, but the way he plays on both ends of the floor has been amazing. I really appreciate him.”
LeBron Highlights Pick-and-Roll Work
James, now in his 23rd NBA season, echoed the praise. “Everything that we ask him to do, he does it,” James said. “Then it’s our responsibility to give him the ball when he is open. It’s our responsibility to attract the eyes off of him for him to get good looks. He’s making them all count.”
James added that Ayton sets “pretty much 80 percent” of the team’s pick-and-roll screens and is “anchoring our defense with the communication.”
Chemistry Building Under JJ Redick
Head coach JJ Redick has emphasized quick decisions in the short roll, an area where Ayton thrives. With Doncic, James and Austin Reaves handling the ball, the Lakers expect the former No. 1 pick to continue benefiting from clean looks near the rim.
Ayton said Reaves’ growing scoring arsenal makes his own job easier, noting that he has never played alongside three elite scorers at once.
The Lakers believe Ayton’s early buy-in can push the team’s offensive ceiling even higher as the season progresses.
Source: LakersNation.com
