Lost in the shuffle of the Los Angeles Lakers’ swarming defensive effort against superstar Kevin Durant has been the outstanding job the team has done in containing the Houston Rockets’ other All-Star in Alperen Sengun. Deandre Ayton, Jaxson Hayes and the rest of the Lakers have done an outstanding job so far in making life extremely difficult for the physical center.
Ayton especially has been excellent in matching Sengun’s physicality and not letting him get to his spots while also keeping him off the glass. And the big man recently spoke about how much fun he is having playing defense in this series.
“It’s been fun. I’m not gonna lie, especially just having a team out there that have your back and everybody just dialed in on the defensive end,” Ayton said after Thursday’s practice. “Defensive has been fun on that end with the communication and the terminologies we’ve created in practice and the schemes we’ve created as well… Just being players, adjusting to certain coverages that they’ve thrown at us, all of that is just fun. Just being at war with guys that are on the same mission as you.”
Ayton hasn’t always been known as a defender, but being in a situation where winning trumps all has helped him lock in on that end.
“I just need to be in position. I’m in a winning position, winning team, and a team that wants to win… It turns everything up a notch,” he added. “My level of focus, level of intent. Everything’s really just amplified. Just being consistent as well with what the team wants. That’s about it. Just showing passion for the game. A lot of people try to make it a mockery, but I love this game. I love to compete, I love to model myself after being a two-way player in this league and I take pride in that. The playoffs is where you can show it the best. I’m loving it.”
While Sengun’s numbers aren’t too far off from his regular season stats, his efficiency is way down in large part due to Ayton’s efforts. Sengun is shooting just 38.5% from the field in the first two games of the series after shooting 51.9% during the season.
This is exactly what the Lakers have been looking for from Ayton all season long and he is giving it to them when it matters most, in the playoffs. Sure, the team could use a bit more offense from him, but that is not his priority against this Rockets team. His size and strength have allowed for him to bang down low with Sengun and challenge every shot at the rim.
With the Lakers’ focused so much on not letting Durant beat them, the obvious counter would seem to be Sengun getting more involved, but Ayton and Hayes aren’t giving him room to operate either and that has been huge in keeping the Rockets offense in check.
DEandre Ayton discusses how Lakers can keep Rockets off offensive glass
Keeping the Rockets off the offensive glass is also a big focus for the Lakers and Ayton talked about what it takes.
“It’s really the multiple efforts,” he said. “People say second-chance efforts, but it’s multiple efforts in the same possession. Houston, they don’t let up, they keep possessions alive being on the glass. And that’s where your heart really has to kick in and just mano y mano, boxing out your guy and closing the possession out just to get our offense in rhythm. Matching their physicality takes a whole group and team and I just feel like we’re super locked in out there where we know in detail, if a shot goes up, find a man, find a boy, close the possession and let’s get on the break. It’s that much of an intent sense of urgency to really close out possessions.”
Houston is sure to make some adjustments so Ayton and the rest of the team will need to be prepared, but as long as that effort and fight remain, the Lakers should be able to continue giving Sengun and Co. a tough time.
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