Deandre Ayton: Will He Average His 8th Double-Double Season?
Deandre Ayton’s 16.2M deal with the Lakers is one of the top off-season movements this summer.
On paper, it looks like a win-win, as Ayton might be the missing piece–the dynamic big that will complement Luka’s playing style (think of Washington and Lively during his Mavs days).
It might also be a great opportunity for Ayton to get some street cred back, as his Portland stint was a bit underwhelming. Playing with Luka, LeBron (if LeBron stays a Laker, of course), and Reaves might just give him a resurgence.
Here are Ayton’s stats last season with Portland:
- 14.4 points per game on 57% shooting
- 10.2 rebounds per game
- 1 block per game
- 1.6 assists per game
- .8 steals per game
Ayton is expected to be the roll man on the Lakers’ pick and roll offense–if he can stay healthy and driven, he could give the Lakers 20 and 15 a night.
For Daily Fantasy Players: HOT! This guy will get you rebounds and points. If the Lakers play a team with a bad P&R defense, he could be the center pick.
For Traditional Fantasy Players: MID! Probably a bench pick. There are younger, more efficient and dynamic centers and bigs that could get more points and rebounds consistently (Ivica Zubac, from the other LA team, is probably a better pick). He is also a bad match-up against stretch bigs, and has difficulties playing the switch. There is also the health factor–last season, he only played in 40 games. In fact, the only time he played a 70-game season was during his rookie year.
