Recently, Los Angeles Lakers center Deandre Ayton griped that the team wanted to "turn him into Clint Capela". That was a role that Ayton didn't want to play. Since making those comments, the veteran center has taken a different look at things.
"I bought in," Ayton said. "Completely, like 110 percent. I hope you see the work."
It's been an adjustment for Ayton to play as the fourth or fifth option in some lineups. He said that transition has been hard, but that he's learned to channel his efforts elsewhere.
"That’s a fact. That is a true fact," he told The Athletic Monday about scoring. "But me, I scratched that, I took that out. I said … when it comes to scoring, we don’t need that. We need you to put that energy what you have for offense and into defense.
"I just started looking in the mirror and said 'Yo bro, … you’re not that guy. You don’t need to be on this team doing that at all. This team, you came here to be the effort guy and close out possessions, rebound. Run the damn floor hard as hell, make bigs work, make superstars work.'
"And I’m having fun with it, I’m not gonna lie."
