The Los Angeles Lakers have endured a grueling string of accidents with the playoffs simply over the horizon. True to an injury-plagued season’s type, Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves were both ruled out for prolonged intervals of time, with many questioning if they will be capable to return for a possible first-round sequence.
With the honest chance of entering the playoffs with out their prime two scorers, the Lakers have inadvertently opened the door for Deandre Ayton to make one final assertion about his offensive capability.
Ayton, 27, has been on the coronary heart of many debates amongst Lakers followers in 2025-26. Some have known as for him to be featured extra on offense, whereas others have proposed that protection and rebounding must be his major focus for a staff in want of these very contributions.
Ayton in the end got here to the belief that the Lakers wanted extra from him on protection. With Doncic and Reaves out, nonetheless, steadiness can be important.
Los Angeles nonetheless has an All-Star expertise main the cost in LeBron James. James is 41, nonetheless, which has many questioning how sustainable it’s for him to must take over each recreation he performs. Thankfully, the fourth-leading scorer on the staff continues to be current: Ayton.
The Lakers will want different gamers to make their mark alongside the perimeter, however with Ayton thriving down low, they might a minimum of stabilize the ship till Doncic and Reaves return.
Deandre Ayton can change narrative, safe future with stars out
Ayton has confirmed up to now that he can tackle a considerably sturdy offensive function and thrive inside it. He averaged 18.0 factors per recreation on 58.9 p.c capturing from the sphere throughout his last season with the Phoenix Suns in 2022-23, and averaged 16.7 on 57.0 p.c capturing in 2023-24 with the Portland Trail Blazers.
Ayton additionally helped Phoenix attain the 2021 NBA Finals with postseason averages of 15.8 factors and 11.8 rebounds per recreation, and averaged 17.9 factors on 64.0 p.c capturing through the 2022 NBA Playoffs.
Ayton has performed a reasonably vital function on offense in 2025-26 for the Lakers, which makes asking him to tackle extra duties pretty cheap. He’s fourth on the staff at 12.4 factors per recreation and has 12 20-point video games to date.
Ayton does not essentially have to publish 20 factors per recreation, but when he can develop a symbiotic relationship with James on offense, then the Lakers may give opposing defenses bother.
Lakers are 20-2 when Deandre Ayton scores 15+ factors
There’s ample purpose for optimism if one appears previous the narratives that counsel Ayton ought to take a again seat. Los Angeles is 11-1 this season when Ayton scores a minimum of 20 factors and an eye-opening 20-2 when he posts a minimum of 15. It’s additionally 20-3 when he makes an attempt a minimal of 10 area objectives.
Those are legitimately dominant information with the latter pattern sizes equating to greater than 1 / 4 of the common season schedule.
If Ayton proves that he can thrive in a persistently featured offensive function, then those that have written him off as a participant on the outskirts of profession stability can be confirmed incorrect. He may both settle for his participant possibility or enter free company in 2026 with a more healthy narrative following him and an opportunity for a multi-year contract offered to him.
It’s a high-pressure scenario, but when Ayton is as much as the duty, then he may assist save the Lakers’ season and alter his profession trajectory in a single fell swoop.
