by It is believed that the new Los Angeles Lakers center Deandre Ayton will score the team sufficiently, rebound, speed and athletics. But it is not known whether he will help in the defensive end.
Defense has always been the starting for Ayton. Despite the possession of a wingspan of at least 7-foot-5 and a huge capacity, he has never been a consistently effective edge protector or general defender. If he started to improve considerably in that department, he could increase the ceiling of the Lakers on his own.
During his introductory press conference on Tuesday, Ayton said that the areas of his game that he wants to improve the most, are rim protection and perform pick-and-roll sequences.
Ayton is an excellent lob threat and he should party in that department while playing next to Luka Doncic. He can also run well on the floor, post and hit the mid-range jumper.
With a career average of 10.5 rebounds a game, he must also help the Lakers to improve the boards, which has been one of their greater weaknesses in recent years.
But they also need defense, both near the edge and the circumference. It is still to be seen whether Ayton will really embrace the challenge to become a plus defender on a consistent base.
