The Los Angeles Lakers lost Deandre Ayton to a knee injury in Sunday night’s 108-106 win over the Utah Jazz, and that creates a big problem. The second quarter saw the big man favor the leg and he did not return after halftime. Ayton has a right knee injury. There were no additional updates, but fans saw this storyline in previous seasons.
The Lakers started the second half against the Jazz with Jackson Hayes at the five and were forced to use Maxi Kleber as a backup center. There is no other big man in Los Angeles. If Ayton misses significant time he will have to make short trips more frequently, creating a problem that LeBron James and Luka Doncic want to avoid.
DA was playing well for the Lakers and building his chemistry with LeBron. Fans are certainly concerned about this knee injury as they know this roster is in desperate need of a difference-making center.
Deandre Ayton’s injury creates a big problem for the Lakers
Ayton was averaging 16.5 points, 8.8 rebounds and 0.9 blocks in his first 14 games before Sunday night. He gave the LA Stars a rim protector and a roll man. Luka plays his best with a dominant big man, and LeBron has long wanted a center upgrade. Ayton seemed perfectly fit, which makes the injury worse.
Following the Luka trade in February, Hayes was the only center on the Lakers’ roster to close out last season. They tried to trade for Mark Williams, but the deal was voided due to a failing physical. Hayes moved into the starting lineup, but did not play more than ten minutes in any playoff game. Things got so bad that the big man was never able to take the field in the deciding game.
Los Angeles lacked rim protection and some matchups were extremely problematic. Nikola Jokic, Alpern Sengun, Victor Wembanyama and Chet Holmgren all cause issues for Western Conference foes. The Lakers will have to go smaller and hopefully the floor spacing will negate any advantage they may have from the opposing team’s size.
If Ayton is out, the Lakers’ best lineup would be LeBron or Maxi Kleber playing at the five. It gives him a five-out look, but that is a big ask for the 40-year-old superstar. They’ll use Hayes as a minutes eater, but that’s not a long-term solution either.
Lakers fans are hopeful that Ayton’s knee injury will turn out to be minor. It was discouraging that he was unable to return to the floor on Sunday night. Fans will have to wait for an official update before Tuesday’s game against the Clippers.
Deandre Ayton suffered a knee injury during the Los Angeles Lakers’ win over the Utah Jazz on Sunday night. He did not return after intermission, but there were no other updates. Fans can only hope it doesn’t turn out to be serious. The Lakers often keep injury news close to the vest. They need a seven-foot player, so hopefully Ayton returns soon. Sadly, that’s all supporters can do at the moment.
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