The Los Angeles Lakers have quietly phased Deandre Ayton out of the high-volume role he was beginning to thrive in. He remains a key contributor, but the frequency with which he's been featured on offense has drastically declined in recent weeks.
Since LeBron James returned to the rotation, Ayton has attempted at least 10 field goals in just three games—and Los Angeles is losing because of it.
The Lakers are currently 11-1 when Ayton produces at least 10 field goal attempts. That inevitably brings their record to 9-9 when he fails to reach 10 shots, which would seemingly imply there's a correlation between his involvement and team success.