The Lakers' long-awaited starting center has finally arrived. Ayton and the Lakers have reached a signing agreement, and the two sides will sign a two-year contract worth $16.6 million, with the second year as the player option.
In the current market, a second or even third center in a team like Looney can get an annual salary of US$7.69 million. The Lakers won a peak No. 1 center with an annual salary of US$8.1 million. No matter how you look at it, it will make a profit. However, public opinion is polarized as to how much combat power Ayton can improve the Lakers, which is inseparable from Ayton's long-term reputation.
Aiton has been criticized by the media and fans. On the offensive end, Ayton's style of play is relatively soft, and he is known as the "clean-obsessed center". On the defensive end, Ayton's consciousness is average, especially when defending pick-and-roll, he takes into account both the ability to go online and the offline, and failed to realize his super talent of being 2.13 meters tall and 2.29 meters tall. In terms of personality, there are many bad news about Ayton's bad temper and lack of motivation. In the era of short videos, second-rate players can be cut into Jordan in the highlights, and the defensive gate can be cut out for five minutes to collect the highlights. The above evaluation of Ayton is obviously exaggerated. If you take off the tinted glasses, what is the real Ayton level? How much should you expect from Ayton?
Multi-unreliable offense
Earten played point guard like Anthony Davis. At the age of 14, Ayton was hailed as "the strongest player in the 8th grade in the United States". In fast breaks, he dribbled behind the ball like a defender, and made strong dunks, singles and singles jump shots. In addition, Ayton has excellent blocking ability, he is compared with Kevin Garnett.
"I'm not an ordinary big man, I'm a free-spirited big man, I'll practice all the skills I need to improve and be able to fit into the game," Ayton once said he was very stubborn in his pursuit of all-roundness.
One of the templates when Ayton was elected No. 1 pick in 2018 was Carl Anthony Towns. Both of them were known for their delicate technology, soft touch and good defensive hardware conditions. Interestingly, both of them were later criticized for being too soft at low posts and being poor in defense.
Ayton University's low-post offense proportion reached 28.9%, and his opportunity to enter the industry is not friendly to low-post offensive centers. After entering the industry in 2015, Towns gradually transformed into a top space center, while Ayton never developed a three-pointer. Over the past few years, Ayton, a center forward who claims to be "comprehensive", has become a typical example of "mixed but not refined". There is an essential difference between "energy" and "essence". Ayton can do anything, but no technology can be used to achieve outstanding heights.
Taking "Pick-and-roll covers people's offense" as an example, pick-and-roll down, pick-and-roll mid-range shot after receiving the ball, and pick-and-roll out three-pointers all belong to this offensive method. In the conventional sense, "eating cake" refers to pick-and-roll down to attack the basket. Ayton has the ability to go down the pick-and-roll, and the finishing efficiency is good when the opportunity comes out. However, a large number of pick-and-roll mid-range shots and throws have lowered Ayton's pick-and-roll screener's offensive finishing efficiency.
Ayton scored 1.39 points per round in the 2020-21 season, and this data is quite impressive. Ayton's ability to play this data is directly related to his 0-3-foot shooting ratio reaching a career high of 53% (76.6% of the sights in the region). In the journey to the finals, Ayton reduced his low-post offense and simplified his playing style. After covering, he took the main goal of attacking the basket, and cooperated with Chris Paul.
However, Ayton never played so efficiently again, what did he experience? Weight loss and technical adjustments. During the 2021 offseason, Ayton lost more than 10 pounds. At the request of Mark Bryant, then-Sun assistant coach, Ayton carefully crafted the throwing. At first, Ayton was resistant to development throwing, but Bryant explained to him that many centers now love to retreat, and it is very beneficial to practice throwing. In the 2021-22 season, Ayton's 0-3-foot shots plummeted to 32.1%, and the 3-10-foot shots (the so-called throwing zone) surged to 39.5%.
Aiton's reputation as a "clean-obsessed center" has been widely circulated since 2021. His ending loses his toughness and always floats outside the three-second zone. Former ESPN ball reviewer Zach Lovey had a very appropriate description: "Aiton always collects the ball in advance and then turns around and hooks. Forget those turning techniques, attack the basket and dunk! He averaged less than 3 free throws per game in his career, and this is the reason."
The Lakers need Aiton to optimize his shooting choices, use the basket as the main course, and use the mid-range shot as the side dish. Can he do it? Hope is great.
When Paul cooperated with Ayton, Paul's most threatening weapon was the central shot. During the Trail Blazers, Ayton had no reliable pick-and-roll holder around him. Doncic is different. He is proficient in all three-pointers, mid-range strong shots, and breakthroughs. He has greater control over the opponent's center and even the entire defense line. Ayton should have more room when playing the pick-and-roll coverr to participate in the offense. What he needs to do is to say goodbye to his life, make the cover solid, and be more determined to go to a deeper position to complete the end. If the opponent takes a switch to defense, Ayton can use his ability to attack at low posts to force himself to attack by misalignment and fight harder.
Defense encountered huge challenges
In the 2018-19 season, Ayton performed poorly on the defensive end in the rookie season, and his pick-and-roll defense and basket protection were full of immatureness. 83 players in the league averaged at least 2 shots within 6 feet per game, and Ayton was ranked 79th by his opponent's 62.9% shooting.
Defense first looks at ability and the environment. Ayton's ability is improving. In the 2020-21 season and 2021-22 season, the Suns have good defensive resources, including Bridges, Claude, and Cameron Johnson. Ayton is definitely not a colander in the Suns' defensive system. The Suns played the defensive efficiency of 9th in the league and 3rd in the league respectively.
Especially when the Suns reached the finals in the 2021 playoffs, Ayton played a defensive performance that surprised many people.. To play against the Lakers, he limited Davis to 12 of 32 shots and James to 9 of 27 shots. In the Nuggets, he suppressed Jokic's shooting percentage at 42.2%. In the finals, Antetokounmpo faced him with a 50.7% chance of star goal, while other players faced the Suns soared to 70%.
That year, Ayton boasted that "the combination of Gobert and Adebayo" could guard the low post like Gobert, and switch defenses like Adebayo.
Unfortunately, the 2021 playoffs is the peak of Ayton's defensive performance so far in his career. The frustration caused by the unsuccessful negotiations with the Suns' maximum salary renewal, the sum of the generals, the Suns' demolition team sent Bridges and Johnson away, and Ayton himself was sent to the Trail Blazers who were dismantled. Under the combined effect of various factors, Ayton has made a lot of loopholes in the past three years.
Can Ayton improve his defense after joining the Lakers? Don't have too high expectations for Ayton to handle complex tasks in pick-and-roll defense. He has problems with both the awareness and movement of both the upper and lower-line defense of the pick-and-roll defense. Especially at present, the Lakers lack reliable defenders on the outside, and their ability to put pressure on the ball and squeeze through the screen is poor. Environment and configuration defects may amplify Ayton's problems. If the Lakers are unable to strengthen the backcourt and wing defense in the future, don't expect Ayton to wipe the butts of the outside players in the penalty area.
But Redick's defense system has a lot of defense replacements, and Ayton's underestimated defense replacement ability will be useful. So far in Ayton's career, he has only been shot by his opponent with more than 45% of his shooting percentage when he switched to the opponent's defender in the 2024-25 season, and in two seasons, he has suppressed his opponent's defender's shooting percentage below 40%.
Prove yourself in the new environment?
For a long time, Ayton's character and attitude have been criticized. Which one is the most prevalent of character development, whether it is innate or acquired? In Ayton's case, the acquired proportion is higher.
Aiton joined the smoky Suns when he entered the industry. At that time, the Suns kept losing in the bad situation. The atmosphere inside the team was tense, the team's culture was lacking, and even the veterans did not abide by the Suns' daily training arrangements. Aiton also relaxed, and some behaviors did not meet the requirements of the team rules. He once said: "I just felt confused and kept losing. Everyone had bad habits, everyone was listless, and some wanted to leave. I heard all kinds of messy things, not knowing what is right and what is wrong." After Paul joined, the Suns changed their image and became a strong team. But in the offseason in 2021, Ayton had a dispute with the Suns' management. The Suns were unwilling to give him a maximum salary contract. Ayton said dissatisfiedly: "We are only 2 games away from winning the championship. I really hope that I will be respected and hope that I will be respected by the team like the same student."
1 year later, when the Pacers offered a quotation contract, the Suns forced to match and retain Ayton. Nominally, this is a maximum salary contract, but the 4-year $133 million USD is 6 million USD lower than the $139 million that Ayton can get from the 4-year maximum salary. The Suns' price reduction strategy makes Ayton feel disgusted. In addition, Ayton has conflicts with coach Monty Williams and is involved in the transaction rumors of swapping with Sabonis Jr., his performance in the subsequent 2022-23 season was down.
Ayton was traded to the Trail Blazers. In the past two seasons, Ayton has no presence in the Trail Blazers. After Ayton reached a buyout agreement with the Trail Blazers, The Athletic revealed that Ayton had a lot of bad news, such as falling out of the game when he was replaced and getting angry in the locker room, often missing team flights and training, and not participating in rehabilitation treatment. In the Trail Blazers' 99-141 defeat by the Jazz, Ayton was abandoned for only 17 minutes, and Billups publicly stated that he "didn't like his mental state."
At the beginning of Ayton's sun was playing badly, the veteran in the team did not set a good example for the young Ayton. In the badly striking Trail Blazers, Ayton should have served as a role model as a mentor for young players, and he didn't do it either. But what is interesting is that after Ayton reached a signing agreement with the Lakers, ESPN also said in the report that each team asked the Trail Blazers many details when making back-tuning to Ayton, and Cronin gave Ayton positive comments.
In January 2024, Ayton once said this in an exclusive interview: "I have nothing to prove. I am a maximum-paid player now, and I will always be a maximum-paid player."
Ayton, who is no longer regarded as a maximum-paid player, needs to prove himself again.
Judging from Ayton's experience, Ayton's professional attitude is directly related to the team's environment. The good news is that Ayton, who is about to be 27 years old, is more mature than in the past, and is suitable for each other. Doncic is good at making cakes for centers, and James has experience in leading the problematic players. The value of the center is backed by the Los Angeles market, and Ayton is not short of exposure opportunities.
Aiton is not lacking in motivation. The new season is essentially equivalent to his contract year. Only by showing convincing performance and becoming a winner can he be eligible to jump out of the contract in the offseason next year, win a big contract again, and win back his reputation.
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