Deandre Ayton delivered one of the cleanest performances of the season on Sunday night, and JJ Redick wants to make sure it doesn’t become a one-off.
The Lakers center was flawless in the win over the Toronto Raptors, going a perfect 10-for-10 from the field while finishing with 25 and 13 rebounds.
It was a rare night of efficiency and dominance, and after the game, Redick made it clear that Ayton’s involvement must remain a priority moving forward.
“Yeah, he was phenomenal,” Redick said postgame. “He’s had a number of these games where he scores efficiently, but really just from a production standpoint to get 20-plus points, 10-plus rebounds that he’s had games like this. It’s just a huge thing for our team, particularly against teams that red. And that’s where I thought he made a huge difference today.
“There were a couple of passes early that we threw to him. One was a lob, one was we were trying to get a seal in early offense for him and we didn’t get him the ball. One was a little high on the lob and then the other one got deflected. I thought our guys just continued to trust him. As the game progressed, he just made some really tough catches in traffic and then was able to score the basketball.”
That trust, Redick believes, is what keeps role players fully engaged on both ends of the floor.
The Lakers coach emphasized that big men like Ayton often do the most unseen work and still need to be rewarded.
“There’s a trust level that I think exists with our guys, particularly when he’s in that short-role area,” Redick said. “Those our post spacing, where he can get those little dump-off passes around the restricted area, just got such a great touch. But for all our guys, the pass is what connects us offensively. Even the defensive-minded players, they still want to feel like they’re part of the offense. That’s just the natural thing that basketball players have.”
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