Training camp for the 2025-26 NBA season is approaching, and while the Los Angeles Lakers may not have a legitimate championship-caliber roster, they do appear to have one that can do some real damage.

They have a number of players who seem to have upward potential, and if those players improve and fulfill their potential this season, perhaps the team can pleasantly surprise quite a few national pundits.

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LeBron Wire is taking a look at the 14 players who are under standard contracts with the Lakers and giving three goals for each player. Let’s now take a look at center Deandre Ayton, whom the Lakers brought in as a free agent after his previous contract was bought out by the Portland Trail Blazers.

Ayton has the opportunity to greatly elevate L.A. by accomplishing these three goals.

Protect the rim aggressively

Ayton has career averages of 16.4 points on 59% field-goal shooting and 10.5 rebounds a game. Yet he has gotten plenty of criticism for not becoming the player he could’ve been, mostly because he has been a disappointment on the defensive end.

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In the 2019-20 season, he averaged 1.5 blocks a game, and the following season, he registered 1.2 blocks a game while with the Phoenix Suns. But since then, his rim protection has been lacking, and rim protection is something the Lakers really need from their big men.

He doesn’t need to turn into the second coming of Dwight Howard, but a return to the type of shot-blocking he displayed four or five years ago would likely get the job done. If he does that, he would raise the Lakers’ ceiling in a major way.

Play with physicality and aggression

While Ayton is a very good rebounder, he is very much a finesse player. He doesn’t always look to finish strong at the rim, despite possessing plenty of athleticism.

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The Lakers didn’t play with enough physicality defensively or on the boards last season, and Ayton, who is seven feet tall and weighs 252 pounds, has the ability to help in that area. In order to do so, he will have to change his mindset a bit.

Have a team-oriented attitude

Over the last two seasons with the Trail Blazers, Ayton reportedly had a number of incidents in which he displayed self-centered behavior. According to Jason Quick of The Athletic, he showed up late to team flights and practices, and he even threw tantrums when he was benched for not playing with the proper level of effort.

The former No. 1 overall draft pick has an immense opportunity to not only repair and improve his reputation around the league but also contribute in a winning situation and perhaps even make the Lakers into championship contenders. He signed a two-year, $16.6 million deal with them that has an opt-out clause after this coming season, and if he does what he needs to, he could earn himself an outstanding payday next summer.

This article originally appeared on LeBron Wire: Lakers 3 goals: Deandre Ayton has a huge opportunity in front of him