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Everything changed for the Lakers when one player looked in the mirror and faced a brutal truth
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- Everything changed for the Lakers when one player looked in the mirror and faced a brutal truth
DeAndre Ayton has heard the noise.
He knows the expectations that have followed him since being the No. 1 overall pick in the 2018 NBA Draft. He knows what he was supposed to become.
But somewhere between a frustrating night in Denver and a humbling moment in Houston on Monday watching Clint Capela of all people, Ayton finally realized something.
DeAndre Ayton has heard the noise. He knows the expectations of being the No. 1 overall pick in the 2018 NBA Draft. NBAE via Getty Images
But recently he finally realized something: he's not that guy. NBAE via Getty Images
You're not that guy.
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For most players, that realization feels like failure. For Ayton, it became freedom.
"I just started looking in the mirror and said 'Yo bro, … you're not that guy. You don't need to be on this team doing that at all," Ayton toldDan Woike of the LA Times after the Lakers 100-92 victory over the Rockets on Monday.
"This team, you came here to be the effort guy and close out possessions, rebound. Run the damn floor hard as hell, make bigs work, make superstars work. And I'm having fun with it, I'm not gonna lie."
Ayton has looked great in stretches this season, disinterested in others. But when he stripped away the illusion and stopped chasing stardom something shifted.
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Ayton realizes he doesn't have to be the focal point of the offense on a team with Luka Doncic, LeBron James, and Austin Reaves. He can be an energy and impact guy instead .
NBAE via Getty Images
When he bought into that role, suddenly everything clicked.
The Los Angeles Lakers have won six straight games and nine of their last 10. Yes, that's in large part to the "Big 3" mentioned above , but it's also because of role players like Ayton who have been willing to do t he dirty work , possession after possession, without the applause and accolades.
Ayton has been a force on the glass. He's protected the rim like it was personal. In the waning seconds of their thrilling 127-125 overtime victory over the Nuggets, Ayton blocked three-time NBA MVP Nikola Jokic 's shot.
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He sets screens with intent and rolls hard to the rim. He's made sure opposing bigs feel him in their chest like his breakout second quarter against Rudy Gobert and the Wolves last Tuesday.
Ayton has been a force on the glass. He's protected the rim like it was personal. Getty Images
That shift has fueled a surge. There was a familiar moment against Houston when Ayton could've drifted. Benched early. The game slipping away.
In the past, Ayton has disengaged and that's it for the night. Instead, he stayed locked in—eyes glued to the floor, waiting, ready. When his number was called, he didn't try to prove he was "that guy."
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He proved he could be a guy.
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That's the paradox of basketball at its highest level. Identity isn't about what you can do—it's about what your team needs you to do. And for Ayton, the acceptance of that truth may have unlocked the most important role of his career.
"I was energized, and I was having fun," Ayton told Woike after that game against the Rockets. "So I really like that the team is trusting me, man. I just don't want to lose the trust, bro."
"That's really what's getting my juices going and me biting my fingernails waiting to get back in the damn game for real. Just getting back to having fun — I'm not gonna lie."
Ayton is having fun and has found his purpose, and in Los Angeles, that's translated to much-needed wins on the court.
