Deandre Ayton has had the pleasure of playing with one of the greatest point guards in NBA history, Chris Paul , for three seasons. During that stretch, he averaged impressive numbers of 16.5 points on 61.4 percent shooting and 10.2 rebounds per game.
Although Ayton's skill and athleticism were pivotal to his strong performances over those three seasons, CP3's elite playmaking undeniably elevated his game. Now, sharing the court with another superstar point guard, Luka Doncic , Ayton recently described his first experience playing alongside a generational talent dubbed "Luka Magic."
Playing with Slovenian for the first time in his career, Ayton saw firsthand the nuances of playing with a cerebral, patient player like Doncic. He noted that while most guards typically just lob the ball toward the rim whenever they see the big man rolling to the rim, the Los Angeles Lakers star practices a different method.
"I'm starting to realize that I'm so used to lobs where, you know, you see the opening, you throw it," Ayton said after the Lakers' 113-104 loss to the Phoenix Suns . "But Luka, you know, he's different. He's damn near drawing a foul at the same time and throwing a late lob."
Though Ayton has had a few practice reps with Doncic, this was the first time they played in an actual game. Two things were apparent: one, the chemistry between the point guard and the center is still a work in progress, and two, Ayton is going to feast inside once he gets the hang of playing with the Slovenian superstar effectively.
"I have to be patient and really read his eyes and be patient with him, but roll fast at the same time, putting pressure on that big so he can be honest in the pick-and-roll," Ayton exclaimed.
"He's truly a generational player when it comes to that pick-and-roll. Like, you know, it feels like he's got eyes in the back of his head. You know, he was finding guys in the weak-side corners, and I'm like, you know, I thought the pass was for me. But, you know, I'm ducking my head, you know, for the pass to get to the corner," he added. "So, that was really fun — seeing how he starts to do his Luka magic in those situations."
Ayton finished with 10 points, 13 rebounds, an assist, two steals and three blocks.
On a Lakers squad with several new players, Ayton emphasized how crucial communication will be, both on and off the court. He divulged that Doncic was active on that front, conveying where he wants his teammates to be to get them clean looks at the basket, given the defensive attention he routinely gets in every game.
"How much more attention Luka draws, you know, just being on the floor with us, and the different schemes teams throw at us when he's on the floor," Ayton remarked. "I'd say him being communicative as well — you know, telling us what he wants and what he sees out there — and just really, you know, picking up the pace on the offensive end as well and giving people different good looks."
Doncic lived up to lofty expectations after he put up 25 points, seven rebounds and four assists in his first preseason game. However, as his five turnovers showed, it'll probably take a bit of time for him to get used to playing with the new guys on his team like Ayton.
Related: Luka Doncic on LeBron's injury: "Our mentality has got to be next man up"
This story was originally reported by Basketball Network on Oct 15, 2025, where it first appeared in the Latest News section. Add Basketball Network as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
