"I'm the Lakers center and the anchor of the defense": Deandre Ayton takes immense pride in repping LA after first win

Deandre Ayton just had his best game as a Laker. The former No. 1 pick took the floor to face the Golden State Warriors for another pre-season contest, and he proved that he could be another weapon for JJ Redick.

With LeBron James, Luka Doncic, and Marcus Smart all out, it was up to Austin Reaves and Ayton to put up points on the scoreboard, and they proved to be up to the task.

Ayton finished the game with 14 points on 6-of-8 from the floor and 2-of-2 from the free-throw line, adding eight rebounds and, surprisingly, five assists. He also had a couple of steals, one block, and just one personal foul in 26 minutes.

Clearly, he was quite motivated to prove his worth, and when asked about it, he opened up about how good it feels to be a part of his new organization:

Explore the NBA Draft 2024 with our free NBA Mock Draft Simulator & be the GM of your favorite NBA team.

"I'm just trying to be a big part of that, man: To let the world know and the league know that I'm the Lakers center and I'm the anchor of the defense," he said after the 126-116 win.

Ayton has all the talent in the world, but his drive hasn't always been there. Dating back to college, some fans and analysts criticized him for not showing a strong motor, and that might finally change in Southern California.

JJ Redick wants to keep Deandre Ayton involved

Things might be a little different for him once James and Doncic are back on the court. Nevertheless, coach JJ Redick wants to keep him involved and in a rhythm.

When asked about Ayton's role in the offense, the second-year coach told SiriusXM NBA Radio that his presence as a lob threat will open up plenty of things for the Lakers:

“I think it’s important for him to touch the basketball because we’re going to ask a lot of him as a screener and a rim runner and the anchor of our defense so there has to be some level of freedom," Redick said. "With Deandre, he gives us something that we didn’t have last year post-trade which is if teams do go to reds –switches– he historically, and we’ve seen it in practice, he historically has been great at punishing smaller defenders at the front of the rim.”

Ayton may not have lived to the hype coming out of college, but he's just 27 years old. He's still pretty young and entering his physical prime, and if the Lakers manage to bring the best out of him, he will be one of the biggest bargains in recent history.

Edited by Ernesto Cova