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Los Angeles Lakers center DeAndre Ayton received seom strong words from Oklahoma City Thunder coach Mark Daigneault just before Game 3.

DeAndre Ayton has not been the Los Angeles Lakers’ top offensive option in their second-round series against the Oklahoma City Thunder, but OKC is treating him like one of the players who can still change it.

Thunder head coach Mark Daigneault made that clear before Game 3, with Oklahoma City holding a 2-0 lead in the Western Conference semifinals.

“He’s a priority for us,” Daigneault said of Ayton, according to Benjamin Royer of OC Register. “Reaves and James is where a lot of possessions start, but he’s that next tier of guys on their team that can really hurt you.”

That is a notable message because Ayton has been limited offensively through two games against the Thunder. The Lakers need more scoring pressure from somewhere beyond LeBron James and Austin Reaves, especially with Luka Doncic still out because of a left hamstring strain. Reuters reported before the series that Doncic had not played in the postseason and remained on a slower recovery track.

Oklahoma City Thunder Coach Mark Daigneault Said DeAndre Ayton Is a Priority for His Team

Daigneault’s comment was not empty praise. It was a window into Oklahoma City’s defensive priorities.

The Thunder have made life difficult for the Lakers’ offense in different ways. In Game 1, Oklahoma City held Los Angeles to 90 points, the Lakers’ lowest playoff scoring total since 2021, according to Reuters. Ayton finished that game with 10 points and 11 rebounds, while LeBron James led the Lakers with 27 points.

Game 2 was more revealing for Ayton’s offensive role. Oklahoma City beat Los Angeles 125-107, and the Thunder have now won the first two games of the series by an average of 18 points. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Chet Holmgren each scored 22 in Game 2, while the Thunder again found enough answers even when the Lakers briefly took control.

Daigneault naming Ayton alongside James and Reaves matters because it shows the Thunder are not viewing him as a low-usage center they can ignore. They are trying to take away his rolls, paint touches, second-chance chances and rhythm finishes before those plays can become momentum swings.

That is the right defensive calculation. The Lakers do not need Ayton to become a 25-point scorer. They need him to punish attention on James and Reaves, keep Oklahoma City honest around the rim and give Los Angeles a physical counter to Holmgren, Isaiah Hartenstein and the Thunder’s waves of help defenders.

DeAndre Ayton Has Been Mixed During Lakers-Thunder

Ayton’s series has been a mixed picture: strong enough on the glass to matter, but not nearly efficient enough as a scorer.

Through the first two games against Oklahoma City, Ayton has totaled 13 points and 22 rebounds. He had 10 points and 12 rebounds in Game 1, then 3 points and 10 rebounds in Game 2, according to StatMuse’s game log.

That is a clear scoring drop from Ayton’s regular-season profile. Ayton averaged 12.5 points, 8.0 rebounds and 0.8 assists per game for the Lakers this season.

The rebound production has actually gone up against Oklahoma City. The scoring has not.

That is the tension for the Lakers entering Game 3. Ayton is still doing part of the job. He is giving Los Angeles size, rebounding and interior presence. But against a Thunder team that can pressure the ball, rotate quickly and recover to the rim, the Lakers need his offense to be more than occasional putbacks and free throws.

The broader playoff sample shows why Oklahoma City is paying attention. Ayton entered Game 3 averaging 10.5 points and 10.9 rebounds in eight postseason games, with the Lakers leaning on him as their leading playoff rebounder.

DeAndre Ayton Has Had to Step Up Alongside LeBron James and Austin Reaves

Ayton’s importance has grown because the Lakers are asking more from their remaining core offensive pieces.

Through the first two games of the series, LeBron James has totaled 50 points, 6 rebounds and 12 assists. Austin Reaves has totaled 39 points, 7 rebounds and 12 assists, including a 31-point bounce-back performance in Game 2 after shooting just 3-of-16 in Game 1. Ayton has totaled 13 points and 21 rebounds, giving the Lakers needed size but not enough scoring punch yet.

That creates a clear Game 3 pressure point for Los Angeles. James and Reaves are where much of the Lakers’ offense starts, which is exactly what Daigneault acknowledged. But if Oklahoma City can keep Ayton from turning those possessions into easy baskets, offensive rebounds and foul pressure, the Lakers’ attack becomes easier to load up against.

Ayton does not need to carry the Lakers as a primary scorer. He does need to punish the attention that James and Reaves draw.