Marcus Smart Breaks Silence on Criticism Surrounding Lakers’ Deandre Ayton

When Deandre Ayton signed with the Los Angeles Lakers, he envisioned playing a pivotal role in helping the franchise compete for an NBA title.

As the season has progressed, the conversation Ayton has moved toward his performance being below the expectations he had laid before he began his Lakers tenure.

The 27-year-old recently aired his frustrations with his limited role within the offense, which has only further fueled outside criticism regarding his effort level and commitment.

Marcus Smart Defends Lakers' Deandre Ayton Amid Criticism

After Ayton suffered a leg injury in Thursday’s 120-113 loss to the Denver Nuggets, Marcus Smart came to his teammate’s defense during a postgame interview with Spectrum Sportsnet.

“He’s down. For him, it sucked for him not to be out there," Smart said of Ayton. "He tried to go, and it just didn’t feel right for him. It sucks. We definitely could’ve used him. I know as of lately, he’s been getting a lot of backlash for his effort and play.

“He understands it. I know it may not seem like it, but he does. And he wants to do good, and he wants to help this team. I think that’s what’s more frustrating for him because he’s trying, but the way he’s trying isn’t working, and he’s still trying to figure it out. But he definitely was down tonight, he just actually left talking to me, saying how he wished he could’ve been out there and how sorry he was. But he can’t control that he couldn’t go and didn’t feel it. Hopefully, next game, he’s ready to go. We could use him.”

Ayton’s first campaign with the Lakers has been filled with plenty of ups and downs. He has had his moments where he excelled as the prominent offensive factor that Los Angeles needs in the frontcourt.

The Lakers are 10-0 this season when he scores at least 20 points and 10 rebounds. Ayton joined Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Shaquille O’Neal as the only players in team history to notch at least 28 points and 13 rebounds in a game while shooting 85 percent or better from the floor.

He has also had moments where his play sparks lingering criticisms of his effort with rebounding, setting screens and rolling to the basket. It has been a double-edged sword at times that hasn’t necessarily worked in the Lakers’ favor.

That said, there remains roughly a quarter of the regular season left for Ayton to provide the stability and production that his team needs to compete for an NBA title.