LeBron James Praises the Play of One Lakers Role Player

Playing on a team with LeBron James isn’t always easy. The spotlight is brighter, the expectations higher, and the scrutiny is much more intense. For some, the added pressure acts as inspiration to take their game to the next level. Think of the players Matthew Dellavadova or Talen Horton-Tucker were before and after getting to play with LeBron. 

On the other hand, that pressure has also led to some players completely falling apart. For example, Russell Westbrook’s time with LeBron may have been the worst stretch of his career. 

Many believed that DeAndre Ayton may struggle being in the spotlight of a LeBron team. He’s proved the haters wrong. 

Here’s what James recently had to say about Ayton’s play and attitude this season. 

"Everything that we ask him to do, he does it. Then it’s our responsibility to give him the ball when he is open. It’s our responsibility to attract the eyes off of him, for him to get good looks. He’s making them all count. It was a big force for us. He sets pretty much 80 percent of our pick-and-roll. Jax [Jaxson Hayes] sets a lot. I’ll sprinkle in a little bit here and there, but he’s a big-time player for us offensively and defensively. [He’s] anchoring our defense with the communication, things of that nature. In a pick-and-roll heavy league, it’s great to have that safety net when we’re doubled or whatever the case may be to find him."

Ayton has surprised many and deserves this high praise from LeBron. If Ayton can keep playing defense like he has while continuing to contribute offensively, the Lakers' ceiling will be much higher than many were expecting.