Oct. 5, 2019, was a particularly notable day in the history of the Los Angeles Lakers. At least, the social media history.
On that day, the Lakers visited the Golden State Warriors for both teams’ preseason opener. It was the first basketball game ever played at the Chase Center, and the Warriors were coming off five straight NBA Finals appearances. On the other hand, the Lakers were coming off six straight seasons of missing the playoffs.
However, this nationally televised event marked the Lakers’ debut for Anthony Davis, the first overall pick in the 2012 NBA Draft, who was entering his eighth season in the league. Davis started at power forward opposite stalwart Warriors defender Draymond Green. While Davis had starter JaVale McGee and Hall of Famer Dwight Howard as centers, Golden State had no one taller than 6-foot-9 in its first-half rotation.
If it were possible to make a preseason statement, then the Lakers did that, with Davis mauling the Warriors for 22 points and 10 rebounds in just under 20 first-half minutes. During one first-quarter sequence, Davis had dunks on three consecutive possessions.
The Lakers led the Warriors by as many as 25 points in that preseason game, winning 123-101. Given the recent futility of the franchise, you can understand why the Lakers would be more than a little excited. The team’s official Twitter account tagged the NBA in what they suggested was a warning to the league:
Consider this a warning, @NBA. pic.twitter.com/AKA2rWPN1p
— Los Angeles Lakers (@Lakers) October 6, 2019
And they were right! About everything! Los Angeles started that season 24-3, finished it with the top seed in the Western Conference and never faced elimination in the bubble on the way to the franchise’s 17th championship. Sure, LeBron James was the finals MVP, but Davis was the catalyst as a first-team selection for All-NBA and All-Defensive teams.
The Lakers have never been that good since. However, on this Oct. 5, they once again found themselves visiting the Warriors at Chase Center for a nationally televised game. And once again, they have a center who is a former No. 1 draft pick entering his eighth NBA season. And just as Davis did six years earlier, the Lakers had Deandre Ayton starting opposite Green, this time at center.
Ayton had a quiet preseason debut for the Lakers two nights earlier against the Phoenix Suns in Palm Desert. He was held to only one point and missed both of his field-goal attempts against the team that drafted him. Afterward, Ayton said he is prioritizing the little things instead of trying to live up to the “Dominayton” persona from years past.
“I wanted to show the team I’m more committed on the defensive end more than the offensive end, in a way,” Ayton said after Friday’s loss to the Suns. “Like I said from the get-go, I’m not really here for numbers. I’m just here for whatever the Lakers really want me to do. And my main objective is really protecting that rim and closing out possessions.”
Against the Warriors on Sunday, Ayton’s job was a little more difficult. Luka Dončić, James and Austin Reaves all had the night off, while Gabe Vincent was the starting point guard against a Golden State team starting Green, Jimmy Butler III and Stephen Curry.
During the first minute of the game, it looked like Ayton was going to make his statement. After he beat Green for the opening tip, the Lakers ran a high pick-and-roll with Vincent getting the ball to Ayton for a jumper at the free-throw line. That was Ayton’s first field goal of the preseason. Two possessions later, Jarred Vanderbilt beat Curry for a jump ball in Golden State’s backcourt by tapping the ball right to a waiting Ayton. With no hesitation, Ayton turned and shot over Green to cap a 7-0 Lakers run to begin the game.
That was about as good as it got for Ayton. For the rest of his time on the court in the first quarter, the Lakers were on the wrong side of a 27-9 first-quarter Warriors run. It was a stretch that began with Warriors small forward Moses Moody driving on an Ayton closeout from the 3-point corner to get a baseline dunk.
Ayton did finish an alley-oop from Jake LaRavia on what was a slick sideline out-of-bounds Spain pick-and-roll with just under eight minutes left in the first quarter, but that would be Ayton’s final field goal of the game. Ayton also drew a Green foul while attempting to finish a lob from Bronny James, splitting a pair of free throws on his only trip to the line.
Ayton was particularly assertive in the first quarter, when he balanced out multiple missed alley-oops and a giveaway following an offensive rebound by going 3 of 6 from the floor and scoring seven points. However, he didn’t keep up the aggression after his first-quarter stint. He remained active in the second quarter, grabbing four of his seven rebounds in just under seven minutes in the period. Ayton’s only second-quarter shot attempt was a missed hook against Golden State backup center Quinten Post.
The third quarter was the worst stretch for Ayton and the Lakers. The Warriors held a 62-55 halftime lead, and they began the second half with Curry, Butler and Green pulled from the lineup. Ayton began the second half with the rest of the Lakers’ starters for the game: Vincent, LaRavia, Vanderbilt and Rui Hachimura. In just over five minutes, a Warriors lineup of Moody, Brandin Podziemski, Buddy Hield, Jonathan Kuminga and Post rinsed the Lakers for a 24-8 run.
Ayton’s only field-goal attempt in the third quarter might as well have been a turnover, as Ayton and Vincent couldn’t connect on a pass inside despite Ayton holding a size mismatch on Podziemski. Vincent dropped his head while a bewildered Ayton wondered what happened, and the Warriors beat the Lakers down the floor for fast-break points.
The Lakers were outscored 11-2 on fast breaks in the third quarter and have been outscored 38-9 in the six quarters that Ayton and their rotation players have played so far this preseason.
Obviously, Sunday night did not provide much of a warning for anyone. The Lakers lost 111-103 and were outscored by 25 points in Ayton’s 20 minutes, 57 seconds.
However, there’s no reason to overreact or panic about Ayton. He’s had one game with Reaves, and none with premier playmakers Dončić and James. The Lakers will play another preseason game against the Warriors next Sunday, before opening the regular season against them on Oct. 21.
As noted after Friday night, Ayton is going to be quite dependent on his playmakers to get him shots. He is not Anthony Davis at all. He’s not going to draw fouls at a high rate. He’s not going to get a surplus of touches to create shots for others. And he’s not going to create space, despite his ability to go straight up after a short roll. No amount of shot attempts will change that for Ayton.
However, he and the Lakers have plenty of time to optimize his role, with and without the stars, before the games count.
(Photo: Thearon W. Henderson / Getty Images)
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