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LOS ANGELES, CA – MARCH 10: Lakers head coach JJ Redick points to a player during a game with the Timberwolves at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles Tuesday, March 10, 2026. (Allen J. Schaben \/ Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)<\/p>\n
With the Los Angeles Lakers<\/a> suddenly without their top two offensive engines, coach JJ Redick<\/a> is turning to a different solution<\/a> \u2014 one that could reshape the team\u2019s offense at a critical point in the season.<\/p>\n As Luka Doncic<\/a> and Austin Reaves<\/a> remain sidelined, Redick indicated that Deandre Ayton<\/a> will take on a significantly expanded role, both in touches and play design.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019re going to D will get some touches that he probably hasn\u2019t gotten for most of the season,\u201d Redick said<\/a>. \u201cWill get more plays called for him\u2026 so it\u2019s not just the burden is not going to just be on LeBron to create all the offense.\u201d<\/p>\n The shift comes as the Lakers adjust to losing 56.8 points per game from their lineup, forcing a redistribution of responsibilities across the roster.<\/p>\n Lakers Center Positioned for Bigger Offensive Role GettyDeandre Ayton will have an expanded role amid the Los Angeles Lakers\u2019 mounting injuries.<\/p>\n Redick emphasized that the Lakers will rely on a \u201cball handling by committee\u201d approach, with multiple players stepping into roles they have not consistently held this season.<\/p>\n \u201cCertain guys are going to be tasked with doing stuff they haven\u2019t done a lot of this year,\u201d Redick said. \u201cBall handling being one of that.\u201d<\/p>\n While that approach spreads playmaking duties, Ayton\u2019s increased involvement signals a clear strategic pivot \u2014 one that leans more heavily on interior scoring and efficiency.<\/p>\n Ayton showed signs of that potential in Tuesday\u2019s 127-113 win over the Cleveland Cavaliers<\/a>, finishing with 18 points on 8-of-13 shooting along with nine rebounds in 28 minutes.<\/p>\n It marked his best scoring performance since March 12 and suggested he may be rounding into form after dealing with a back issue that sidelined him and limited his minutes in recent games.<\/p>\n Ayton Gets Chance to Prove His Worth After Past Frustrations<\/p>\n The increased opportunity also comes after earlier tension regarding Ayton\u2019s role.<\/p>\n In February, ESPN\u2019s Dave McMenamin<\/a> reported that Ayton voiced frustration about how he was being utilized within the Lakers\u2019 system.<\/p>\n \u201cWhen he was finished speaking to the group, Ayton made his way back toward the showers and said what he really felt \u2014 loud enough for anyone still in the locker room to hear,\u201d McMenamin wrote. \u201cThey\u2019re trying to make me Clint Capela<\/a>,\u201d Ayton said. \u201cI\u2019m not no Clint Capela.\u201d<\/p>\n Capela has built his career as a rim-running, screen-setting lob threat \u2014 a role the Lakers had often leaned on at the center position. Ayton\u2019s resistance to being limited to that archetype raised questions about fit earlier in the season.<\/p>\n Now, with Doncic and Reaves out, the Lakers are shifting toward a more expanded offensive role for Ayton \u2014 one that could allow him to validate those earlier concerns.<\/p>\n Production Has Fluctuated, Impact Remains Clear<\/p>\n Ayton\u2019s production in March was inconsistent, averaging 11.1 points and 7.8 rebounds over 15 appearances. However, he remained highly efficient, shooting 73.3% from the field during that stretch.<\/p>\n More telling than his averages are the team\u2019s results when he is actively involved.<\/p>\n Los Angeles is:<\/p>\n Those numbers underscore Ayton\u2019s importance: when he stays engaged offensively and on the glass, the Lakers become a significantly more difficult team to beat.<\/p>\n \u201cThat guy right there is the X factor,\u201d Reaves said earlier this season, via ESPN. \u201cHe changes our ceiling.\u201d<\/p>\n Opportunity Comes at Critical Time<\/p>\n The opportunity for Ayton comes at a pivotal moment.<\/p>\n In the Lakers\u2019 136-96 loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder<\/a> \u2014 the game in which both Doncic and Reaves suffered their injuries \u2014 Ayton struggled to make an impact, finishing with eight points and one rebound in 20 minutes.<\/p>\n Now, with the offensive structure shifting, the expectation is that Ayton will become a more consistent focal point, particularly in half-court sets.<\/p>\n His size, finishing ability and rebounding presence provide an alternative scoring option for a team that has heavily relied on perimeter creation.<\/p>\n Lakers Seek Balance Without Overloading LeBron<\/p>\n The increased role for Ayton also aligns with Redick\u2019s broader goal of avoiding excessive strain<\/a> on LeBron James<\/a>.<\/p>\n Rather than placing the full burden on James, the Lakers are looking to diversify their offense and create multiple points of attack.<\/p>\n That balance could prove critical as the team fights to maintain its playoff positioning in a tightly contested Western Conference.<\/p>\n Stretch Run Could Define Ayton\u2019s Impact<\/p>\n As the regular season winds down, Ayton\u2019s performance may ultimately determine how far the Lakers can go without their full roster.<\/p>\n He has already demonstrated the ability to dominate games when engaged \u2014 controlling the paint, finishing efficiently and creating second-chance opportunities.<\/p>\n Now, with more touches and a clearly defined role, the Lakers will be looking for that version of Ayton to emerge consistently.<\/p>\n If it does, they may find a way to stay competitive \u2014 and potentially unlock a new dimension of their offense \u2014 even under difficult circumstances.<\/p>\n \n\t\t\tAlder Almo<\/a> is a veteran NBA reporter for Heavy.com, covering the New York Knicks, Los Angeles Lakers and Golden State Warriors. He brings over 20 years of experience across local and international media, including broadcast, print and digital. He previously covered the Knicks for Empire Sports Media and the NBA for Off the Glass. Originally from the Philippines, he is now based in Jersey City, New Jersey. More about Alder Almo<\/a>\t\t<\/p>\n \n\t\t\tMore Heavy on Lakers\n\t\t<\/p>\n \n\t\t\t\tLoading more stories\n\t\t<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Getty LOS ANGELES, CA – MARCH 10: Lakers head coach JJ Redick points to a player during a…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":700502,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":"","_share_on_mastodon":"0"},"categories":[3790],"tags":[7,4034,1698,300,4044,251,150,4033,4043,6],"class_list":{"0":"post-700501","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-los-angeles-lakers","8":"tag-basketball","9":"tag-la","10":"tag-la-lakers","11":"tag-lakers","12":"tag-lalakers","13":"tag-los-angeles","14":"tag-los-angeles-lakers","15":"tag-losangeles","16":"tag-losangeleslakers","17":"tag-nba"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/channels.im\/@nba\/116354911855043472","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/700501","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=700501"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/700501\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/700502"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=700501"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=700501"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=700501"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}![\"Deandre](\"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Copy-of-1920_20260316_001124_0000.png\")
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