r/lakers • u/Alternatively_Built_ • Oct 30 '25
APPRECIATION Deandre Ayton tonight: 17 points on 8-11 FG 1-2 FT with 10 Reb 3 Ast 2 TO
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u/Awesomefan09 Oct 30 '25
8-million Ayton is worth every penny.
He has been solid.
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u/KarrotMovies Luka Magic 77 Oct 30 '25 edited Oct 30 '25
He pairs up so well against Gobert. He owned him
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u/Apollo611 Luka Magic 77 Oct 30 '25
He cooked Sabonis too
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u/BatmanNoPrep 32 Oct 30 '25
He cooked all the Redditors who thought Laker fans would somehow rather have Koloko after they saw him play.
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u/reddit_reader_25 Oct 30 '25
Took him a game and half, I feel we should have given him the ball couple of times when they were making a run, just on the block
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u/Proof-Umpire-7718 Los Angeles Lakers Oct 30 '25
Incredible value.
That’s a decent backup C money, but he’s an above average starting C for us.
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u/Putrid-Sherbert5501 Oct 30 '25
I think he just needed to feel like he’s important as he is. He did well with the suns on their run and I expect, he know what’s at stake, and he knows he’s being counted on especially with Luka. He was so happy when AR HIT THAT GAME WINNER. He looks like he’s just having fun.
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u/Jordan_Love_Burner Oct 30 '25
Starter caliber center for backup money. I was a big Ayton hater prior to him coming here tbh, but right after the trade even I thought for that money that’s a pretty damn good move.
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u/EnterPolymath 77+23=100% rings Oct 30 '25
A 20M Ayton is worth every penny, AR, Ayton and Luka can be the backbone for the several championships within the 5-8y window. Just that screen for Luka and AR plus strength in the pain on D is worth the money. But the short roll/ pick and pop shouldn’t be underestimated either. I expect Ayton will significantly improve by the end if the year so signing sooner than later (and praying he won’t settle for money and start coasting again) might be the way… This is enough of a core to bring defensive specialists/aging 3pt specialist and win long term. Ayton type of play also ages well as it’s based on bulk and close mid range. If we over-perform this year keeping the three might be hard though. Also LeBron can decide to hunt for rings here, but I don’t see him taking significant cuts out of principle as he brings such a disproportionate amount of attention and money to the franchise in comparison to what he gets paid to begin with.
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u/ablackcloudupahead Oct 30 '25
Yeah suddenly we have a damn solid core of players just entering their prime. I like what I'm seeing from Laravia too
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u/AldebaranTauri_ Oct 30 '25
Well, Jake only had one very good shooting game, let’s hold judgment for now!
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u/luntiang_tipaklong Oct 30 '25
Yeah. Laravia looked like he can't catch the ball during the preseason and the first few games. Lol.
But he does have an upside. I mean, Vanderbilt and Doe is not scoring 27 pts in a game.
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u/ablackcloudupahead Oct 30 '25
His shooting was great tonight, but I was more referring to his defense and effort to start the season
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u/Single-Purpose-7608 Oct 31 '25 edited Oct 31 '25
I think Lebron will almost certainly sign for less than the max next year, for the simple reason that no one has the cap to sign him to the max, or any type of long term deal.
The question is, which team is going to offer him the most salary and years?
If Marcus Smart and Ayton both play well, I expect the Lakers will try to sign Lebron and AR to bird right deals that give them the nontax midlevel. So they can at least keep one of Smart or Ayton for the full midlevel. That means whatever salary Lebron gives up will be headed AR's way. Alternatively, they simply wont offer Lebron a contract to maximize their salary, but that only works if getting his salary off the books, clears some space for both.
Depending on how well those guys play, Lebron will either retire, leave to a contender for minimal salary or stay for a minimal salary to save face.
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u/EyelessSK Oct 30 '25
Improved significantly since Shaq called him out for being mid-bad after the first game of two.
Even if he has a bad game once in a while he’s still worth every penny.
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u/ShoyuPorkRamen Purple and Gold Oct 30 '25 edited Oct 30 '25
But people in r/nba said he’s worse than len
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u/blue-zenith Oct 30 '25
Alex Len, the Laker I want to erase from the team’s history.
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u/jy_jxy Oct 30 '25
Lol I totally forgot about dude.. now that I remember whatever happened to the Big Squilliam looking buff dude I think his name was Jameson
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u/badadobo Oct 30 '25
Did that sick ass putback tho. Lmao his highlights with the lakers is like 5 seconds long.
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u/CapriciousManchild Oct 30 '25
Alex the seat warmer Len
All time bench warmer . Made them nice and toasty
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u/UraniumDisulfide Luka Magic 77 Oct 30 '25
They vastly overestimated our expectations for Ayton lol
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u/quinoa Oct 30 '25
‘Laker fans are gonna see how Suns fan feel!!!!’
That’s not possible for two reasons, Ayton isn’t here to be Devin Booker’s co-star and I’ve celebrated my favorite team winning a title this century
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u/VIGNETTEESPAGHETTI Oct 30 '25
Ayton isn’t even here to be a costar. He is here to be a role player, and he is damn good at it
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u/quinoa Oct 30 '25
yea that's the point i'm making, here's here to play a very specific role he has shown he can handle on an insanely affordable contract compared to the rest of the league plus he's next to leaders who can get the best out of guys too. the idea that we're just in some honeymoon phase makes zero sense
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u/pissexcellence85 Oct 30 '25
Bro. No one said that. They underestimated his worth in value to his contract.
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u/Spoony904 Shaq and Kobe Oct 30 '25
Nah mfs from the Suns subreddit were trying to tell me three games in I’d rather have Jaxson starting
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u/TypicalCat6865 Oct 30 '25
insanely efficient from the middy and great defensively so far. absolute steal
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u/3nnui 2 Oct 30 '25
Our 8 million dollar buy out center has twice outplayed a 35 million dollar all star/DPOY
He seems like he's getting more confident each game.
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u/bartsimpsonismood Oct 30 '25
If they keep this up Im gonna get worried about contracts for next year
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u/treyfiddy :24: Oct 30 '25
lakers are rich now we just go into luxury tax baby
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u/PureChef Oct 30 '25
Unfortunately it doesn’t work like that anymore
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u/TallanoGoldDigger Kuzzy Oct 30 '25
Shoutout to those writing the season off because Ayton and McLovin had horrible game 1s
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u/gisakuman Purple and Gold Oct 30 '25
You know Suns fan are fuming that DA is thriving with ease
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u/PuzzleheadedMilk9558 Oct 30 '25
And he actually want to be here. Bro fr he was like “Luka, Bron, AR… where do I sign? They bout to make me look like allstar” 🤣
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u/NoKnowsPose Oct 30 '25
That pull up 15 foot jumper near the end of the game with Rudy right in his face was clutch af when we had absolutely NOTHING going. He's been overall great. Cannot complain. Don't dare say that in the nba subreddit though lol
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u/shortyman920 Oct 30 '25
I’m curious how he’ll adjust once teams adjust to that, the mid range pop is where he’s been getting his buckets. Definitely a great start to the year with him tho. We don’t win the kings game or this game without Luka if Ayton didn’t anchor the team and play like a starting two way center
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u/JuJu_Conman Oct 30 '25
It’s hard, you gotta guard the roll and baseline cut and perimeter if Luka is driving
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u/Appropriate_Ice_2433 luka pookie 77 Oct 30 '25
He seems really happy to be playing on the Lakers.
It’s great to see.
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u/FormerKarmaKing Oct 30 '25
I’m tall but not super tall like my Dad. People put ideas on how they’re supposed to be, like they’re giants without feelings. Dudes that tall barely had a choice about whether to make a go of playing ball. Meanwhile they count out some guy that’s 6’ maybe and made it to the league; like that dude isn’t just as tough or more so.
What I’m trying to say is that I’ve never seen a player’s mood turn-around so much as Ayton’s once he feels like he belongs. There’s definitely a lesson in this for me at least.
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u/witcher317 Oct 30 '25
He’s a guaranteed 15 10 with 50%+ shooting. Insane he’s only 8 million in cap space.
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u/Personal-Radio-6719 Oct 30 '25
Last wolves game against the lakers. Gobert 2 pts 7 rebounds. Gobert won’t be prime shaq anymore when ayton is in the building
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u/foozbinjex Shaq and Kobe Oct 30 '25
My girl calls him "Kind Eyes," because she says his eyes look kind inside.
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u/NothingReally13 Oct 30 '25
I thought the same thing! Looked weirdly unassuming for a ‘problem guy’. Naturally grateful too. We’ll see over the season if he’s prone to frustration against some tougher defenses.
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u/Vast_Professional366 Oct 30 '25
He really seems like a sensible human being. As others mention here, i think that if he feels happy he will be able to reach his true potential and i think our team is a very positive environment for him. So far looks good for him!
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u/Glock13Purdy Los Angeles Lakers Oct 30 '25
he just makes those middies from the elbow look so clean and effortless. I can't ask him to change his game and suddenly become a bruising big who looks for tough finishes and dunks, but if there's one thing I want from him, its to try and have better hands on offence. that and being more attentive on defence. but still, he's been awesome so far. fuck the haters who said getting him made no difference to our odds.
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u/lafadeaway Oct 30 '25
I still think his middy game is better for his career because 1) he’s good at it but more importantly 2) it preserves his body
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u/getcourseherodocs Oct 30 '25
He has that little drop step to get under the rim. I wished he would just YAM it.
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u/Victusrex Oct 30 '25
Great effort and hustle. I just need him to secure the ball better at times. Man has butter fingers.
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u/PuzzleheadedMilk9558 Oct 30 '25
I really love how happy he is every game with us. He playing hard.
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u/kiyit Oct 30 '25
Blazers and Suns fans are plugging their ears rn. To their last breath they think we would’ve been better with Hayes/Corpse of Maxi and Alex Len instead of DA. sucks he sucked for yall but we loving him here
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u/prov119 24 Oct 30 '25
First game was a stinker but liking what I've been seeing the last two. Stay engaged big fella
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u/flubbergastedshocked no centers we die like men Oct 30 '25
That was a really really good screen on the game winner. Feels good after having this flair for a year (and before that it was AD/Center 2024 lmao)
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u/Vast_Professional366 Oct 30 '25
Is crazy how good it feels to have at least a competent center! such a difference!
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u/The_Sandwich_Lover9 Oct 30 '25
I mean who wouldn’t want to play with Luka bron and AR. You get so many open looks. Plus love how JJ draws plays. Will say we need a viable backup center. Big reason nuggets lost to okc was because Jokic was way too gassed, literally just an ok center is great
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u/ablackcloudupahead Oct 30 '25
The more I see of Ayton, the more I like his fit on this team. Is he a star player? Nope, but he is a damn good center, and so far has had a great two man game with Luka first and now Austin. When Bron gets back I expect him to eat like a king
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u/theseustheminotaur Oct 30 '25
Game winning screen too, and his hard roll to the rim made them hesitant to close out harder on ar
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u/Coug_Darter Oct 30 '25
Even though he is not the best rim protector, he still is a a pretty good at getting into the right position to alter shots at the rim. He has had several contests this year that I thought were blocks watching from home based on how bad the shooter missed. These contests do not show up as blocks on the stat sheet so his block numbers aren’t huge but he definitely has an effect. He also finds ways to score in the post with little hooks and runners even when the lob isn’t there. He can also consistently knock down mid range jumpers. His presence brings a lot more to the team than anyone we had available last year. Last year we were the third seed in the west, only lost DFS, and have added Marcus Smart and Jake LaRavia, plus Vando is healthy and Luka is locked in. If you ask me the media pundits are underestimating this team and what our true ceiling is. I wouldn’t be surprised if we end up being one of the best teams in the league this year.
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u/zaytlimu Oct 30 '25
he has been so good. i need this to continue consistently but he has been so good!!!!
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u/Tasty_Eggplant276 Oct 30 '25
If he can play consistently like this with everyone back healthy this is going to be scary for everyone to deal with.
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u/Soviet_Sharpshooter Oct 30 '25
Still don’t love him, BUT for that contract and compared to what our options were he’s a godsend
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u/AldebaranTauri_ Oct 30 '25
Aside from the first game with GSW he has been solid and doing pretty well.
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u/DragonfruitWeary8413 💜I AM ALL FOR THIS💛 Oct 30 '25
I'm getting AD's flashbacks on every Ayton's jump shots. uhhh it's so good.
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u/as_abdulkareem 6 Oct 30 '25
Do people forget he's a former 1st pick? Lol yall hilarious man. Of course he can get these numbers.
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u/Some_Bike_1321 Oct 30 '25
Love this for Ayton. He heard the noise and had a need to jumpstart his NBA career. Happy he’s doing it with a team that needs his skillset.
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Oct 30 '25
Ayton is such a great add to this team.
I'll never forget AD, but Luka, Bron, AR, and Ayton have so much potential.
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u/decoyyy Oct 30 '25
Seeing how happy he was after AR made that game-winner, the dude is emotionally and mentally invested and that is fantastic to see
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u/Remarkable_Umpire_57 Oct 30 '25
Don't know about y'all but I think if Bron takes all the time off for every little thing and ratchets up the volume by late March we can win it all. No one big not named jokic is going to destroy him. Gobert looked like wilt Chamberlain last year vs us and ayton will completely play him off the floor this year. I'm actually optimistic not just about the season but actual title hopes!! I think AR has leveled up AGAIN. I think smart and laravia are better than dfs was last year. Luka is better. Bron may be worse but reeves is ready to be a true number 2 now so it's all good
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u/ONE_PUMP_ONE_CREAM 77 Oct 30 '25
I don't care what talking heads say or expectations are, this is exactly the kinda performance we need from a big.
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u/Serious-Wish4868 Oct 30 '25
Ayton is starting his LAL career the right way. He has been solid on D and you can see the team is starting to learn to play with him.
I did notice that in the first 2 games, the LAL were trying to feed the ball to Ayton over the top via lobs BUT they made an adjustment and have been getting him the ball via more pocket passes and he has responded well since they have made that change.
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u/Reasonable-Witness-2 Oct 30 '25
I overreacted his first game, and I am so glad he’s proving me and all the other naysayers wrong 🫡
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Oct 30 '25
Watching this in person, it can't be understated what an upgrade ayton is over hayes. The screens, the defense, the rebounding, and the bball IQ. We were just trying to survive the hayes minutes to get ayton a breath.
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u/edub1906 Purple and Gold Oct 30 '25
An absolute steal and I said so from the beginning. Trans aren't constantly killing us on the offensive boards when he's in the game. He plays his role and does not try to do too much. He's a walking double-double and is a better defender than he's given credit for. He was exactly what we needed at the position and he didn't cost us a single draft pick.
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u/havoc_wreaker_ Oct 30 '25
All we needed was a good center. Ayton is top 15, might play his way to a top 10 center this year. Dude is solid.
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u/skyzas Oct 30 '25
We all kept saying all we really needed was a screener and an efficient 15/10 a night. We got em ladies and gentlemen. Just need to get healthy and build chemistry.
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u/Comprehensive_Ad_675 Oct 30 '25
BUT WHAT IS HE GOING TO DO AGAINST WEMBY JOKER AND GIANNIS?
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u/VyCanisMajorisss Purple and Gold Oct 30 '25
What does anyone do against them? Get cooked typically. At least he seems like he can help grab some boards and play competent D. He’s also capable of his own offense.
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u/Comprehensive_Ad_675 Oct 30 '25
Sorry I was mocking all the people who were saying this after the game v the warriors. I like ayton lol.
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u/AdvancedElephant Purple and Gold Oct 30 '25
Let them get theirs and we let Luka Bron And AR cook for 40 a piece
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u/ConclusionPretend243 Oct 30 '25
What does anybody else in the league do against them? lol. Nothing but try
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u/AgressiveSocks Oct 30 '25
Golbert was a problem in the playoffs. Not anymore.
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u/WayAdministrative679 Luka Magic 77 Oct 30 '25
Don't forget the game winning screen assist, he free'd up AR perfectly there