Lakers’ Deandre Ayton’s immediate reaction to LeBron James alley-oop

Deandre Ayton may never take the next step in his career. He could just be an impressive center who falls short of true stardom. The Los Angeles Lakers and their fans understand the kind of player the 2018 No. 1 overall pick is, but they want him to play with palpable energy and joy. He certainly did that during a thrilling third-quarter sequence in Friday’s 125-122 win versus the Los Angeles Clippers.

Austin Reaves made a terrific outlet pass to LeBron James, who quickly served the ball up for Ayton. The alley-oop stretched the Lakers’ lead to 14 and ignited the home crowd in Crypto.com Arena, but it also displayed the impact the 27-year-old big man can make when his instincts are on point. He ran the floor beautifully and perfectly read James’ eyes, and the end result was a big play that gave LA overwhelming momentum (at least for the time being).

Ayton was incredibly grateful to be part of such a rhythmic experience on the basketball court, and it will stick with him for a long time. “That was one of the highlights of my career,” he said of the fast break, per ESPN’s Dave McMenamin. “I needed that one.”

LeBron James throws it up for the Deandre Ayton SLAM

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Deandre Ayton could be the X-factor on this team. If he can operate at full force, the Lakers should be a legitimate championship contender. But which version of Ayton will show up on the floor?

The former Arizona Wildcats star recorded a modest 13 points and seven rebounds against the Clippers. His scoring is naturally going to decline alongside offensive dynamos like Luka Doncic, LeBron James and Austin Reaves, but he could still make a discernible difference on the glass.

Ayton is posting a career-low 8.4 rebounds per game (his minutes are slightly down, but the statement still holds true on a per 36 minutes basis). The Lakers grab 40.9 boards per contest, which ranks 28th in the NBA. They need him to be strong in the paint.

He averages a double-double for his career. This is not a role player. It is time for him to remind everyone what he is capable of accomplishing. Perhaps the alley-oop can be the forerunner to a Deandre Ayton reawakening.

The play obviously left an impression on him. He will try to build on it when Los Angeles (34-21) welcomes in the Boston Celtics (36-19) this Sunday night.

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