Lakers' Marcus Smart Says Deandre Ayton 'Is Down' After Knee Injury, 'It Sucks'
Los Angeles Lakers guard Marcus Smart provided some insight into center Deandre Ayton's psyche after Ayton was forced to leave Thursday's loss to the Denver Nuggets due to a knee injury.
Ayton left the locker room without talking to the media, but Smart spoke to reporters on his behalf following the Lakers' 120-113 road loss.
"He's down," Smart said. "For him, it sucked for him not to be out there in the game. He tried to go, and it just didn't feel right for him, and it sucks. We definitely could have used him. I know as of lately he's been getting a lot of backlash for his effort and his play. He understands it.
"I know it might not seem like it, but he does, and he wants to do good and he wants to help this team, and I think that's what's more frustrating for him because he's trying. But the way he's trying is not working, and he's still trying to figure it out. But he definitely was down tonight."
Ayton played just four minutes and 30 seconds on Thursday before left knee soreness knocked him out for the remainder of the game, per Lakers head coach JJ Redick.
The Lakers entered the offseason with a clear and obvious need at center, and they attempted to address it by signing Ayton to a two-year, $16.21 million contract.
Ayton, 27, was the No. 1 overall pick in the 2018 NBA draft, and he had several productive years with the Phoenix Suns before getting traded to the Portland Trail Blazers.
The seven-footer's numbers in L.A. so far this season have been solid on the surface, as he is averaging 12.6 points and 8.2 rebounds per game, while shooting a career-best 66.7 percent from the field.
It hasn't led to much of an improvement for the Lakers from a defensive perspective, though, as they are in the middle of the pack in terms of points allowed, 26th in field goal percentage allowed and 29th in rebounds per game.
The Lakers entered Thursday's game on a three-game winning streak, but with the loss to Denver, they are now 3-4 in their past seven games.
At 37-25, the Lakers are sixth in the Western Conference, two games ahead of the seventh-place Phoenix Suns.
That means they are in good position to reach the playoffs, but another loss to Denver suggests they may not have the makeup needed to truly compete with the Western Conference's elite teams come playoff time.
The Lakers will lean on Luka Dončić, LeBron James and Austin Reaves in the biggest games, but they aren't getting what they need out of Ayton and the rest of the supporting cast regardless of health.
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