Scored 20+10 in 3 of 8 games, Ayton for 8 million is so cool!

In the offseason, the Portland Trail Blazers selected Yang Hansen in the draft, and then Ayton was bought out by the Trail Blazers. At that time, many people believed that Ayton was no longer capable, otherwise the Blazers would not have bought him out. Therefore, when Ayton joined the Lakers for 16 million in two years, not many people thought that Ayton could help the Lakers. But in fact, it was Ayton who took the initiative to seek a buyout from the Trail Blazers. He gave up 10 million in the contract, and the buyout fee was 25.55 million.

You know, in the 24-25 season, although Ayton only played 40 games, he was still able to average 14.4 points, 10.2 rebounds and 1.6 assists per game. The Trail Blazers did not regard Ayton as part of the reconstruction, but focused on cultivating Sharp, Henderson, Klingen, Kamara, plus Grant, Avdija. The Blazers had a no-nonsense attitude towards Ayton. This is probably why Ayton sought a buyout and joined a team whose head coach is willing to trust him and can win.

Ayton's second-year contract is a player option, and the initiative is still in Ayton's hands. Once he plays well with the Lakers, Ayton can decline the player option and sign a bigger one. Once the value is revealed, it means "I don't want to keep my master here, I have my own place to keep my master." Ayton played in 8 games, averaging 31.5 minutes per game, scoring 17.5 points, 8.4 rebounds, 1.1 assists and 1.3 blocks, shooting 66% from the field. At first glance, Ayton's 66% field goal percentage for a pie-eating center is not high, but if you think about it carefully, Ayton averages a lot of mid-range shots per game, so it is not easy to maintain such a high field goal percentage.

Among them, Ayton scored 22 points and 15 rebounds, 29 points and 10 rebounds, and 22 points and 10 rebounds in three games against the Kings, Trail Blazers, and Spurs respectively. +10, with Doncic missing 4 games, Reeves missing 2 games, and James missing 9 games, the Lakers currently have 7 wins and 2 losses and rank second in the Western Conference. This is obviously directly related to Ayton's outstanding performance on both ends of the offense and defense. As of now, Ayton is averaging 15 points in the paint per game, ranking first in the league. Ayton's advantages, we have talked about before: 1. Alley-oop threat Ayton's athletic ability is very good. Like Hayes, he has an excellent alley-oop threat. Once he goes to the basket, he can share a lot of passing pressure with his teammates.

2. Mid-range shot threat Ayton has a top-notch mid-range shooting feel. Whether it is a mid-range shot near the free throw line or a floater near the three-second zone, Ayton's accuracy is excellent. What is more tactically meaningful to the Lakers is that Ayton can launch an attack independently, clearing an area and providing him with singles tactics.

3. Rebounding ability Although Ayton averaged 8.4 rebounds per game, only ranking 22nd in the league, when watching the game, you can find that the Lakers have a lot of backcourt rebounds, and Ayton will intentionally give them to Doncic or Reeves to facilitate a counterattack. Ayton averages 3 offensive rebounds per game, ranking 18th in the league. Ayton is very good at tip-in, averaging 4.3 points on second offense per game, ranking 7th in the league.

In the game against the Trail Blazers, Ayton grabbed 4 offensive rebounds, all of which were converted into his own inside points.

4. Frame protection ability. This season, when Ayton is responsible for squatting defense in the paint area, he can suppress the opponent's layup. The big center who defends the opponent one-on-one will not suffer, and Ayton's athletic ability can support him to switch to guard guards and forwards.

Generally speaking, when the Lakers encountered injuries and absences from their top boss, second boss, and third boss after the start of the game, Ayton stepped up in time. He can not only act as a role player to assist the Big Three, but also serve as the core of the inside. This is a timely help for the Lakers. The Lakers can get this kind of Ayton for only 8 million a year. If Ayton can maintain a healthy season, the Lakers will really make a lot of money.