Hope Lakers can get an easy one against NO. I have a feeling this is the first time Ayton really has a chance to get in a good revenge game against the Suns. It will be tough of they have to string it out in back end of a back to back
Not a Big 3 to thumb your nose at when the OTHER Big 3 piece LBJ not available. When he is it's Big 4 out there. This guy is playing fantastic! What consistent efficiency on offense from inside the key area and just super rim protection with his timing and ability to not bite much on pump fakes. Apparently MUCH stronger than he looks from wide angle shots, but up close with the camera he's a big Dude in great shape.
I think Reaves and Luka need to try to get Ayton a few more shots a game. Sometimes they get too shot happy like last night.
Very easy 17. Probably should've gotten him up to 25. Without Poeltl, there was no one to guard him. Austin and Bron spoon fed him in their sleep. Big time stop at the end
Got to get the refs credit they didn't give Lebron that call all night so they didn't give to BI either especially when he in there a lot weaker
Lakers need to find a way to keep him Huge difference having him in the middle What we've all been wanting for years is now here
He was flying out there. Helps that neither Drummond or Embiid can jump over a phone book to contest anything.
I just love how Ayton is playing this season. He does almost everything right, seems like a great teammate, and when he is set up properly, he barely ever misses. One of the most efficient centers you can ask for. He and Jax (have to give Hayes some credit as well) are an awesome combo: they are currently combining for something like 21/13/2, 2 blocks and a steal. Think about it: they provide our team with elite rim finishing, and solid rebounding, and I can only describe their interior scoring as dominant. Jax is clearly stronger now, able to hold his own against heavier centers, while Ayton looks legitimately big out there. While 2019-20 tandem of Dwight Howard and JaVale McGee were better defensively than our current center pairing, Ayton and Hayes offer more offensive usage, score more points, and with a higher TS%. What I am trying to say here is that the Lakers aren't so much better this season just because Luka is a beast (he is) and AR is playing at an all-NBA level most of the time (no doubt about it), but because the entire team is constructed much better this time around. Offensively, we're among the top teams in the NBA, but we either need Smart to stay healthy and play more games, or we need to bring in another Smart, simple as that. As is stands, we are actually the most similar in terms of... well... pretty much everything basketball related to the Denver Nuggets. That's not bad at all. But it needs to better in order to challenge OKC.
