Deandre Ayton has never been a proper defensive anchor at the center position throughout his NBA career. For the Los Angeles Lakers to hit the type of highs they need to in 2025-26, that is exactly the type of player Ayton must mold himself into.
On a recent episode of The Athletic's NBA Daily, Andrew Schlecht highlighted just how crucial it will be for the Lakers center to embrace this pivotal transformation. The process would involve some soul searching for the former first overall pick.
"Hopefully he's taken a good, hard look in the mirror ... and said I've got to lock in defensively," Schlecht said.