We cannot rely on him due to the inconsistency. Offensive output can swing, effort and give a f*** can't. I don’t know what that means for our center rotation moving forward. Ultimately I want a set it and forget it level starting center, but that takes more assets than we can afford to use on the position right now given our other holes.
Last two games have been disappointing after I thought he did quite well in the Rockets series and was good in Game 1 of this series. I really don't know what's going to happen with him in the offseason. I do think there's a chance he's the backup for us next year, with Hayes as 3rd string or maybe on another team.
I see it like some teams could get away with a bad defensive center like that, if they have strong perimeter defense. But, since we have Luka, Reaves, Lebron, Rui, and Kennard on the perimeter, we need to make sure we have a defensive center as our foundation. Even if we upgrade a couple perimeter defense spots, we still likely have most of the aforementioned guys coming back next season, so it makes it imperative that we have defensive centers, who give a f***.
We need to get better defensively at center, and at the wings. We could incrementally get better by upgrading one of these needs, but this team needs both. If only we had a couple guys like Caruso and Goodwin…..
laravia outperformed his contract all year, as did ayton, really. laravia's first playoffs were too big a stage for him. ayton's actually played...better in the playoffs than he did in the regular season? laravia will be properly slotted as a 9th/10th guy next year, hopefully. ayton? it's up to him. tbh, if he opts in, i'm ok with it. if he opts out, i'm probably not re-signing him (using that money for mitchell robinson, probably?).
Maybe more of us temper our grass is greener thoughts when we acknowledge the price to be paid getting over there to play …. with the razor wire the a-hole Laker hating neighbor put up around his property?
He should be a backup. Problem is that I think Jax is a better backup but a worse starter. I want a change up pace big from our backup position.
In other words: if my agents find me more money I'll take that, otherwise I'll be back. Sigh, Ayton is the most frustrating part of this roster. At his best he protects the rim and is a highly efficient scorer that helps you win lots of games. At his worst, he sucks.
I used to be most frustrated by Rui, but this postseason he was probably our most consistent player besides Lebron. Ayton was really up and down, some great games and some stinkers.
That's the Ayton journey, to start the season great, the middle of the season poor, march great. Houston great, OKC poor.
i don't think he can handle it, mentally. ayton's just center dlo. he'll never be consistent. he'll always be talented. but pretty soon he's going to run out of chances. if he opts in, i think we try to trade him. if he opts out, i don't think we try to re-sign him. but even after saying all that, the FA/trade market for centers has been tough (look what zubac went for!!), so if we have to come back with ayton/hayes next year, it could be worse.
Either way, I don't want to see him on the team anymore. On paper, he's not bad and worth every $. But he just doesn't fit this team. It doesn't look like the three stars enjoy playing with him and just tolerate him. He's not going to get better. He is what he is at this point. abeer3 said "DLo if he's a center" and that's exactly right... too nonchalant, too soft, too aloof. Lakers need a dog and enforcer in the center position. Someone who will block your shot and then dunk all over you and shove you out the way... Not this soft center play that makes the Lakers look weak. I would rather the Lakers get Marvin Bagley III than Ayton.
i wonder which center the nets would rather keep between sharpe and claxton, and whether an opted in ayton plus a pick (would require more salary and different picks depending on which one) would be enough to get them to part with one of them. we've been sniffing around both guys for more than a year, and rob tends to return to targets.
I was thinking about the nets as a trade partner. They’ve already got a ton of young guys to develop so they won’t be contending for a while. We could offer the #25 pick plus something else (maybe swaps, maybe another 1st) and get back a second rounder or two, they have #33 and #43. With those we could get Josh Jefferson Or billy richmond and ejiofor. Jefferson or ejiofor are ready for the backup 4 next year plus you get Claxton for the starting 5. I meant to look up the trade packages others have floated in the past.
I’m with bringing DA back and hope he re-ups. He got punished because OKC tag teamed him with two 7 footers in the floor at the same time. Having Luka would’ve nullified some of that because he wouldn’t hunted one of those bigs off screens and paint touches.
