The Los Angeles Lakers had everyone from the home crowd to the oddsmakers on their side for their matchup against the Orlando Magic on Tuesday night, but it wasn't enough to lift them past Paolo Banchero's 36-point double-double. Thankfully, there was a bright spot to be found in Deandre Ayton's performance.
The contest marked just the seventh instance in which Ayton managed to score 21 or more points this season. And while the Lakers themselves may not ever take credit for it, ESPN's Dave McMenamin seems to be attributing Ayton's latest scoring surge to the Lakers' attempts at "stoking the ego" of the eight-year veteran.
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According to McMenamin's latest report, GM Rob Pelinka himself "... Commissioned a black T-shirt with a gold screen print depicting half of a lion's face and half of Ayton's face that he presented to the 27-year-old." Ayton has, at times, voiced his frustrations with his lack of opportunities on the offensive end of the court.
He has scored six or fewer points in 10 games so far this season, and after the Lakers' first game of the new year brought yet another one, Ayton notably griped that "Bigs can't feed themselves." Los Angeles is clearly doing its best to make him feel heard, as indicated by McMenamin's report, which also mentioned that the team's training staff has taken to wrapping Ayton's water bottle in athletic tape and writing "'DA's Crunk Juice — Drink this to unleash the beast' in black marker on it before games."
It can be difficult to find a meaningful amount of shot attempts when you're sharing a court with LeBron James and Luka Doncic. Still, it's also clear that Ayton does better when he feels as if he's both acknowledged and actively contributing to the team's success. It may sound ridiculous, but if it helps to generate 21 points and 13 rebounds, then the Lakers will likely continue to be more than happy to oblige, as a productive big man figures to be the last piece they need to try for one last postseason push with the aging James.
The Lakers visit the Phoenix Suns at 9 p.m. ET Thursday.