When the Los Angeles Lakers signed center Deandre Ayton to a two-year, $16 million contract this offseason, it was seen as a smart move for the team. Ayton, who was selected first overall in the 2018 NBA draft, has consistently been a starter throughout his career, averaging 16.3 points and 10.3 rebounds per game.

However, there have always been concerns about Ayton’s defensive capabilities and his overall focus. These issues contributed to the Phoenix Suns trading him in 2023 and the Portland Trail Blazers buying out his contract this summer—effectively paying him $25 million to not play for them. While the Lakers have benefited from Ayton’s scoring ability inside the paint, they are now experiencing the challenges that led to his previous teams wanting to move on from him.

Ayton missed two games last month due to a knee contusion, and since returning, his performance has been disappointing. He is currently averaging career lows in points (14.3) and shot attempts (9.3). In the five games since his return, those numbers have dropped even further, with Ayton averaging just 9.4 points and 7.0 shots per game.

Deandre Ayton ‘Doesn’t Feel Like He’s Getting the Ball’

What is concerning for the Lakers is that when Ayton’s shot attempts and scoring decrease, so do his other contributions. In his last five games, he is averaging only 6.2 rebounds and 0.4 blocks. Coach JJ Redick has opted to sit Ayton for most of the fourth quarter in recent games, including during the Lakers’ win over the Grizzlies on Friday.

When asked about Ayton on Saturday, Redick provided a detailed response: “I think he’s frustrated, doesn’t feel like he’s getting the ball. You know, there’s stuff we have to clean up vs. the shock for him to be more available. But I’d say it boils down to that.”

Lakers Need to Get Deandre Ayton More Touches Early

Redick was questioned about how the Lakers can address Ayton’s struggles. He suggested that while Ayton needs to take more initiative, the coaching staff should also ensure he gets more touches early in the game to keep him engaged.

“It’s on everybody,” Redick said. “We tried to run an ATO for him that was one of the ATOs we didn’t run correctly. There’s opportunities for him to duck in at times and he is not being active. There’s opportunities for us to hit him when he does duck in and we’re not hitting him. So that to me, it comes down to, is he gonna be active and engaged and assertive, I think the trust level from the passer builds off that. But I think we’ve got to start trying to at least get him some touches before the seven-minute mark.”

The issue of keeping big men involved in the game is not unique to Ayton or the Lakers. Redick acknowledged that many players in the NBA face similar challenges.

“I think most guys, we talk about it as a team, you don’t feel like you’re getting the ball, the rest of your focus kind of wanes a little bit. I think that’s human nature for most NBA players,” Redick said.

Lakers Disorganized Offensively

Redick has expressed frustration with the Lakers’ recent performance, and even in their win over the Grizzlies, he was still dissatisfied. He has often criticized the team’s defense but noted that the offense has also been out of sync.

“I don’t know what else to do. I do a lot of joy-sticking over there on the sidelines,” Redick said. “Yesterday, I said, ‘Let’s run a way toss and bring it up the left side I want so-and-so in it.’ It was after a dead ball, I am calling it on the fly. And we bring it up that side and the person I wanted to away toss isn’t over there. It’s just like, that is happening so consistently right now. I chalk it up to the holidays.”

When asked if he thinks his Lakers are forgetting plays, Redick responded, “I don’t know. I wasn’t a guy who forgot plays.”