Deandre Ayton is not being asked to lead the Los Angeles Lakers, he is being asked to help complete them. For Ayton, repping the purple and gold offers him a great chance to have a bounce back in his career, and prove the doubters wrong.
In Phoenix, Ayton was expected to be a franchise cornerstone. In Portland, he was expected to find himself. In Los Angeles? He is expected to do his job, no more, no less.
A once-promising star is now in a perfect role to prove everyone wrong
That job starts with two things: finishing plays and protecting the rim.