When Deandre Ayton signed for the Los Angeles Lakers last summer, he was expected to be the final piece of the puzzle that would propel them to NBA Championship contenders. But as the season has progressed, Ayton has had his ups and downs, averaging 12.5 points and 8.3 rebounds over 56 games. The Bahamian made headlines last month following his controversial “I’m not no Clint Capela” outburst following the Lakers’ 11o-109 loss to the Orlando Magic.

Ayton, who bagged a double-double (21 points, 13 rebounds) in that game, was frustrated at the lob-finishing, rim-running role that coach JJ Redick has him playing as opposed to his skilled offensive game. He was heard yelling out, “They’re trying to make me Clint Capela,” which immediately went viral the next day.

Since then, Ayton has been moving differently, avoiding the media and throwing shade at reporters, including Daniel Starkand. “I definitely think it has to do with that Capela article, and that was something, you know, he kinda said walking out of the locker room, and people just heard it. I do think there is an aspect of him kinda losing trust in the media because that got put out,” he said while on Lakers Nation with analyst Trevor Lane.

Starkand went on to add that Ayton has been actively dodging reporters after recent games. He claimed that the former Phoenix Suns man also refused to speak to the media following team practice earlier this week. In fact, he was ‘awkwardly’ avoidant of Starkand last night too, following the Lakers’ big win over the Minnesota Timberwolves.

But Starkand defends his colleagues’ actions, claiming they’re just doing their jobs. “DA needs to know that if he says something out loud when reporters are in the locker room like that’s considered ‘on the record’, like that’s fair game, you know, whether he likes it or not. And if he doesn’t want something like that to be published, then he should just not say it,” he concluded.

Deandre Ayton Looks to Silence the Haters by Balling Out

After his outrageous outburst made headlines, Ayton bombed miserably in the next game vs the Suns. He managed just two points and four rebounds after spending 23 minutes on the court. Former Laker Shaquille O’Neal and NBA legend Charles Barkley roasted him on TNT’s Tip-Off, with the latter saying Ayton should embrace the ‘Clint Capela’ role.

Ayton kept his head down and focused on working on his craft. And since the start of March, he’s been a pivotal player for LA as they’ve climbed up the Western Conference standings to occupy the fourth seed. He played a crucial role last night in the 106-120 win over Minnesota, bagging a double-double (14 points, 12 rebounds).

Despite the absence of LeBron James, the Lakers remain on track to make a deep playoff run thanks to the efforts of Luka Doncic, Austin Reaves, and Ayton. His attitude towards the media might be unacceptable to some, but the Lakers faithful care more about what he produces on the court. And if he keeps playing in the same vein, all sins will be forgiven.