Ayton finally spoke on understanding his role.
The Los Angeles Lakers have gotten the best version of DeAndre Ayton over the past two weeks, and it all started with a conversation he had with himself in the mirror.
In an interview with Dan Woike of The Athletic, Ayton opened up about the mindset shift that has fueled his recent stretch of strong play.
"I just started looking in the mirror and said 'Yo bro,… you're not that guy. You don't need to be on this team doing that at all. This team, you came here to be the effort guy,'" Ayton told Woike.
The Turnaround on the Court
That kind of honesty is not something you hear from a former No. 1 overall pick very often, and it was exactly what the Lakers needed after a rocky stretch that included the now-famous "I'm not no Clint Capela" outburst following a loss to Orlando back in late February.
Since that low point, Ayton has looked like a completely different player.
In a win over the Timberwolves on March 11, he finished with 14 points on 7-of-11 shooting and 12 rebounds while playing strong defense against Julius Randle and Rudy Gobert.
Two days later against the Bulls, he went off for 23 points on 10-of-13 shooting with 10 rebounds, giving the Lakers exactly the kind of energy they have been asking for all season.
Even in Monday's 100-92 win over the Rockets, a game where his scoring dipped to seven points, Ayton still pulled down 11 rebounds with a block and a steal while helping the team grind out a tough road win.
On the season, Ayton is averaging 12.5 points and 8.4 rebounds per game while shooting 66.5 percent from the field across 50 games.
What It Means Going Forward
The Los Angeles Lakers sit at 43-25 and third in the Western Conference, riding a six-game winning streak heading into Wednesday's rematch with Houston.
A huge part of that run has been Luka Doncic, who is averaging a league-best 32.9 points per game along with 7.9 rebounds and 8.5 assists, but the team's surge has lined up with Ayton playing his best basketball of the year as well.
JJ Redick praised Ayton after the Timberwolves game, saying it was great for the team and great for his confidence to see him perform like that against one of the best teams in basketball.
Should the Lakers Keep Him?
That is the big question, and the answer probably depends on whether this version of Ayton is here to stay.
He has an $8.1 million player option for the 2026-27 season, and the Lakers have already been linked to potential replacements at center through the draft and free agency.
If Ayton keeps playing with this kind of effort and selflessness through the playoffs, though, there is a real case that bringing him back makes sense for a team that needs a big man willing to do the dirty work next to Doncic and LeBron James.
The talent was never the issue with Ayton, and at 27 years old he still has the physical tools to be one of the better centers in the league when he is locked in.
It all comes down to whether the guy who looked in the mirror and told himself to be the effort guy can stay committed to that every single night, because when he does, the Lakers look like a team that can compete with anyone in the West.