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By Valentina Martinez
Contributing Sports Writer
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Los Angeles Lakers center Deandre Ayton is continuing to acclimate himself with the team and the town, but he is coming off perhaps his best performance since donning the Purple and Gold.
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In Sunday's preseason matchup against the Golden State Warriors, Ayton scored 14 points along with eight rebounds and five assists in the Lakers' 126-116. While preseason results aren't important, the performance of players is perhaps a prelude to the regular season.
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"I know it's not an official game, but (the fans) definitely showed some love to me. Just really changing the narrative of protecting the rim on the defensive end. J.J. (Redick) has really put it on me and put an emphasis on his bigs protecting the rim. I'm just trying to let the world know and the league know that I'm the Lakers center and anchor of this defense," Ayton said.
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Ayton's performance was certainly encouraging as the Lakers signed the big man in free agency to a two-year, $16.6 million. He was the team's biggest offseason acquisition and is set to play a pivotal role for the Lakers throughout the 2025-26 season.
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The Lakers' success this year is directly correlated to Ayton's production night in and night out. LA was left short-handed in terms of size during their playoff run last season, and it resulted in a first-round exit.
Now, the Lakers have Ayton as their starting center, and his production should hopefully give LA the upward trajectory they're looking for in a competitive Western Conference. With LeBron James set to miss the start of the season due to sciatica, the Lakers will have to do their best to stay afloat, missing one of their superstars.
Thus, Ayton's role perhaps becomes even more important to open the 2025-26 season.
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