Ayton's Lakers debut centers on defense and rim protection

Deandre Ayton made his first appearance in a Los Angeles Lakers uniform on Oct. 3, playing 18 minutes in a preseason loss to the Phoenix Suns and finishing with one point, eight rebounds and two blocked shots as the Lakers fell 103-81. Ayton missed both of his field-goal attempts in the game and had limited offensive involvement while the team played without LeBron James and Luka Dončić.

Ayton framed his night as a defensive statement, saying after the game, "I wanted to show the team I'm more committed on the defensive end more than the offense in a way. Like I said from the get go, I'm not really here for numbers. I'm just here for whatever the Lakers really want me to do. And the main objective is really protecting that rim and closing out our possessions. And I had fun, man." He added that he expects to defer to the team's primary playmakers in determining his offensive role.

Teammate Austin Reaves urged patience, noting Ayton was working into the Lakers' system. "New organization, there's a lot he's got to learn within our system and you can't grade him off 16, 17 minutes of basketball," Reaves said. Reaves acknowledged Ayton's defensive plays and expressed confidence that...