The Los Angeles Lakers are hoping that a strong push after the All-Star break could steer them into one of the top four seeds in the Western Conference and home-court advantage in the first round of the playoffs.

To make that hope a reality, the Lakers will need improvement from a big-time offseason acquisition who hasn’t quite lived up to the anticipation that accompanied him.

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Deandre Ayton is facing a decisive stretch in his career. In his first season with the Lakers, the former #1 overall pick has found himself ranked sixth on Bleacher Report‘s list of the 10 most overrated players in the NBA.

“Centers who can’t protect the rim and offer no three-point shooting are a dying breed in the NBA,” B/R’s Greg Swartz wrote. “Ayton needs to show some sort of development in any part of his game or else he’ll be out of the league in a few years.”

Harsh, but not unfair.

Ayton this season is averaging career lows in points (13.2) and rebounds (8.5) points per game. Signed to a two-year deal in Los Angeles after the Portland Trail Blazers bought him out for $27 million, Ayton is allowing a 59.3 shooting percentage on field-goal attempts at the rim, despite his 7’0” frame

That doesn’t help the Lakers’ 23rd-ranked scoring defense, which also sits in the NBA’s bottom five in opponents’ 2-point field-goal percentage.

Ayton has an $8.1 million player option for next season that he might pick up. But his long-term outlook next to Luka Doncic in Los Angeles is far from rosy.

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