Deandre Ayton knows the Lakers need him to be his best in the playoffs

Lakers center Deandre Ayton dunks during a game against the Timberwolves at Crypto.com Arena earlier this season. (Eric Thayer / Los Angeles Times)

The last time Deandre Ayton appeared in the playoffs was in 2023, when he was a member of the Phoenix Suns and was viewed in NBA circles as having the potential to be a force as a center in the league.

A lot has changed since then for Ayton.

He’s on his second team since those days in Phoenix — the Portland Trail Blazers and now the Lakers. He has been viewed as a player who hasn’t reached his full potential. He has been viewed as an inconsistent player.

Ayton has a chance to prove his worth, to show his critics he has the ability to be elite in the postseason when the Lakers open the first-round of the Western Conference playoffs Saturday against the Houston Rockets at Crypto.com Arena.

“That I truly am like, I love playing this game and I take great passion of playing on both ends of the floor,,” Ayton said after practice Wednesday. "I still believe just being a two-way player in this league, that's truly my second nature, and that's how I want to be noted as in this league. It's just being an all-around, two- way superstar. Just taking passion on both ends of the floor.

" I can play hard on offense. I can play hard on defense. So, that's just really my goal — running the floor always and closing out possessions with rebounds and protecting the rim. So, just trying to enhance everything I can coming into the playoffs.”

Read more: Lakers prepare for Rockets playoff series with emphasis on rebounding

Ayton averaged career lows in points (12.5), rebounds (8.0) and minutes (27.2) with the Lakers this season. But he did play a career-high 72 games and shot a career-best 67.1% from the field.

In the three seasons Ayton reached the playoffs with the Suns, he was a double-double machine, averaging 15.9 points and 10.5 rebounds in a total of 45 games.

The Lakers will need that version of Ayton, especially with Luka Doncic (Grade 2 left hamstring strain) and Austin Reaves (Grade 2 left oblique muscle strain) out indefinitely.

“Yeah, I've shown it,” Ayton said. “So, it's just me accepting the role I'm in and playing hard as hell in that role. That's about it. Every night.”

In his previous seven seasons before he arrived in Los Angeles — four in Phoenix and two in Portland — Ayton averaged a double-double.

When the Lakers signed him to a two-year, $16-million deal with a player option, they had hoped to get that Ayton.

Lakers center Deandre Ayton, left, deflects a shot by Nets guard Nolan Traore last month at Crypto.com Arena. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)

“Again, the whole season for him has been about finding consistency,” Lakers coach JJ Redick said. “When he's at his best, we're an elite basketball team. That's just the reality. He raises our ceiling so much — and it's on both sides of the ball. It's not him being able to score 24 points, although when he scores and shoots, we typically win. ... He's just a really good basketball player and we're very happy with where he's at right now.”

Ayton was asked to evaluate his season with the Lakers.

“Yeah, I was challenged a lot this season and I feel like I embraced everything that was thrown at me,” he said. “It took some time, but I eventually got control of everything. And I think I got a hang of it and I like it. I got the guys on the team that helped me embrace everything that's going on.

"And just things we have going, with the dilemmas and the injuries, I feel like we've been through this the whole year. Just guys going out and guys having big games. And we're the team where you don't know who's gonna have the 30 points, or this or that. We're just going to play hard and just play together.”

Ayton will have his hands full with Rockets All-Star center Alperen Sengun, who averages 20.4 points and 8.9 rebounds per game.

“I mean, it's the playoffs. I mean it's the postseason, you know?” Ayton said. “It's called mano y mano and it's not always X's, and O's. You got to stop the man and guard your yard.”

Read more: LeBron James takes the reins for Lakers entering playoffs

When the Suns reached the 2021 NBA Finals against the Milwaukee Bucks, there were times when Ayton was considered the second-best player on his team. Over six games, he averaged 14.7 points, 12.0 rebounds and shot 53.1% percent from the field in the series.

Game 1 of the best-of-seven series for the Lakers is on the horizon and Ayton is excited to show what he has to offer now that he’s back in the playoffs.

“Yeah, it's almost speechless, especially being on this side of town now, you know, playing in L.A. when I was on the other side,” he said. “This place can get pretty loud. And I'm still trying to just go home and embrace everything. I know we haven't ramped up yet, but coming out of these practices, JJ gives you so much. And you have to dissect it sometimes, and you're thinking about the environment, you think about the fans, thinking about the first game as a Laker in the playoffs.

"So, I just try to find some time to catch myself and gather and just just relax. I've been here before, but I am truly excited. I want to do backflips. I'm in the purple and gold, and I just want to really just play hard as hell to contribute to wins.”

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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.