'changes Our Ceiling': Why Deandre Ayton Is Key To Lakers Upset Vs. Thunder

Lakers halfway Deandre Ayton bounced crossed nan tribunal aft believe Monday wearing each black, his chains swaying, his temper jovial arsenic he approached nan media to talk astir his domiciled successful nan Western Conference semifinals.

His spirits were precocious for what lies up for nan Lakers arsenic they prepared to look nan champion squad successful nan NBA, nan defending champion Oklahoma City Thunder.

Lakers coach JJ Redick said nan play of his halfway “changes our ceiling nan most.”

Simply put, Ayton’s high-level of play will beryllium paramount for nan Lakers erstwhile they statesman nan best-of-seven bid Tuesday nighttime successful Oklahoma City.

“Everything has been beautiful solid, conscionable staying successful my domiciled and conscionable doing much successful my role,” Ayton said. “This is nan playoffs, truthful everybody tin do more, everybody has different level. And this is nan 2nd information coming in, truthful I deliberation we each merit that small spot of summation of assurance from what we’ve done truthful acold and nan result from nan adversity we’ve faced.

“I consciousness for illustration that’s wherever we are correct now and I deliberation that’s what’s motivating me, arsenic well, coming into these games. Just seeing, listening and being dialed successful and seeing nan results of it.”

There were times Ayton was a unit against nan Houston Rockets successful nan first round. He had double figures successful rebounds successful 4 of nan six games and had 3 double-doubles successful nan series. He averaged 11.8 points and his 10.8 rebounds are third-best successful nan postseason.

“DA’s had a awesome season,” Redick said. “He was instrumental successful america getting past Houston. I deliberation his baseline of who he is each time for nan past two, two-and-a-half months has been awesome. And I cognize his teammates, surely nan staff, we’ve each embraced him each play long. Again, he’s nan personification that changes our ceiling nan most.”

Both Ayton and Marcus Smart came to nan Lakers past summer, giving them a much-needed halfway and a defensive-minded guard. Smart said he didn’t cognize Ayton earlier they became teammates, but nan 2 of them person bonded.

Lakers teammates Marcus Smart, left, and Deandre Ayton observe during Game 6 against nan Houston Rockets connected May 1.

(Kenneth Richmond / Getty Images)

They beryllium adjacent to each different successful nan locker room and Smart is nan first to ever promote Ayton, to push him, to expect much retired of him.

“Not his large brother, but I’m conscionable personification who he respects,” Smart said. “He sees [me] spell retired location and not only preaching, I’m really doing what I’m preaching. I’m not conscionable preaching, I’m retired location pinch him, successful nan midst of it, battling pinch him, going done adversity pinch him, right? I deliberation that drives a batch of respect for 1 different successful that aspect, erstwhile you’re going to conflict pinch somebody. You’re struggling while they’re struggling correct location pinch you, trying to thief you get done yours.”

The 7-foot Ayton will beryllium going up against 7-1 Chet Holmgren and 7-foot Isaiah Hartenstein. Holmgren averaged 17.3 points, 8.5 rebounds and 2.0 blocks successful nan first information and Hartenstein averaged 11.0 points, 8.3 rebounds and 1.0 blocks.

Ayton will person to clasp his ain against them and still beryllium nan unit nan Lakers person leaned connected successful nan postseason.

“Playing bigger. ... Just being relentless connected nan glass, you know, protecting nan rim arsenic overmuch arsenic imaginable and not letting them successful my paint,” Ayton said. “It’s gonna beryllium large pinch maine protecting that overgarment successful this series. They really make and touch nan paint. ... Them having 50-plus points successful nan paint, you cognize they’re a really unstoppable team. So, I’m really conscionable looking guardant to protecting nan overgarment arsenic champion arsenic I tin and staying connected nan level arsenic agelong arsenic possible. That’s astir it.”

Being connected nan roadworthy and successful a dispute situation is thing that Ayton besides is looking guardant to. He knows nan crowd successful Oklahoma City is for illustration a assemblage ambiance and that he and nan Lakers can’t get rattled.

“Yeah, you can’t perceive yourself,” Ayton said. “It’s decidedly nan ‘Thunder’ for a reason, you know? Their fans are thunderous. You know, you tin perceive nan level shaking, nan bleachers, you can’t moreover perceive a play call. And you gotta beryllium ace dialed in.

“They’re nan defending champs and you cognize their fans person been successful atmospheres and hype games and you cognize they’re fresh for their squad to do their thing. So, we conscionable gotta travel successful ace prepared and conscionable dial retired each nan sound and conscionable travel successful and play together.”