'Changes our ceiling': Why Deandre Ayton is key to Lakers upset vs. Thunder - BERITAJA

Lakers halfway Deandre Ayton bounced crossed the tribunal aft believe Monday wearing each black, his chains swaying, his temper jovial arsenic he approached the media to talk about his domiciled successful the Western Conference semifinals.

His spirits were precocious for what lies up for the Lakers arsenic they prepared to look the champion squad successful the NBA, the defending champion Oklahoma City Thunder.

Lakers coach JJ Redick said the play of his halfway “changes our ceiling the most.”

Simply put, Ayton’s high-level of play will beryllium paramount for the Lakers erstwhile they statesman the best-of-seven bid Tuesday nighttime successful Oklahoma City.

“Everything has been beautiful solid, conscionable staying successful my domiciled and conscionable doing much successful my role,” Ayton said. “This is the playoffs, truthful everybody could do more, everybody has different level. And this is the 2nd information coming in, truthful I deliberation we each merit that small spot of summation of assurance from what we’ve done truthful acold and the result from the adversity we’ve faced.

“I consciousness for illustration that’s wherever we are correct now and I deliberation that’s what’s motivating me, arsenic well, coming into these games. Just seeing, listening and being dialed successful and seeing the results of it.”

There were times Ayton was a unit against the Houston Rockets successful the first round. He had double figures successful rebounds successful 4 of the six games and had 3 double-doubles successful the series. He averaged 11.8 points and his 10.8 rebounds are third-best successful the postseason.

“DA’s had a awesome season,” Redick said. “He was instrumental successful america getting past Houston. I deliberation his baseline of who he is each time for the past two, two-and-a-half months has been awesome. And I cognize his teammates, surely the staff, we’ve each embraced him each play long. Again, he’s the personification that changes our ceiling the most.”

Both Ayton and Marcus Smart came to the Lakers past summer, giving them a much-needed halfway and a defensive-minded guard. Smart said he didn’t cognize Ayton earlier they became teammates, but the 2 of them person bonded.

Lakers teammates Marcus Smart, left, and Deandre Ayton observe during Game 6 against the Houston Rockets connected May 1.

(Kenneth Richmond / Getty Images)

They beryllium adjacent to each different successful the locker room and Smart is the first to ever promote Ayton, to push him, to expect much retired of him.

“Not his large brother, but I’m conscionable personification who he respects,” Smart said. “He sees [me] spell retired location and not only preaching, I’m really doing what I’m preaching. I’m not conscionable preaching, I’m retired location pinch him, successful the midst of it, battling pinch him, going done adversity pinch him, right? I deliberation that drives a batch of respect for 1 different successful that aspect, erstwhile you’re going to conflict pinch somebody. You’re struggling while they’re struggling correct location pinch you, trying to thief you get done yours.”

The 7-foot Ayton will beryllium going up against 7-1 Chet Holmgren and 7-foot Isaiah Hartenstein. Holmgren averaged 17.3 points, 8.5 rebounds and 2.0 blocks successful the first information and Hartenstein averaged 11.0 points, 8.3 rebounds and 1.0 blocks.

Ayton will person to clasp his ain against them and still beryllium the unit the Lakers person leaned connected successful the postseason.

“Playing bigger. ... Just being relentless connected the glass, you know, protecting the rim arsenic overmuch arsenic imaginable and not letting them successful my paint,” Ayton said. “It’s gonna beryllium large pinch maine protecting that overgarment successful this series. They really make and touch the paint. ... Them having 50-plus points successful the paint, you cognize they’re a really unstoppable team. So, I’m really conscionable looking guardant to protecting the overgarment arsenic champion arsenic I could and staying connected the level arsenic agelong arsenic possible. That’s about it.”

Being connected the roadworthy and successful a dispute situation is thing that Ayton besides is looking guardant to. He knows the crowd successful Oklahoma City is for illustration a assemblage ambiance and that he and the Lakers can’t get rattled.

“Yeah, you can’t perceive yourself,” Ayton said. “It’s decidedly the ‘Thunder’ for a reason, you know? Their fans are thunderous. You know, you could perceive the level shaking, the bleachers, you can’t moreover perceive a play call. And you gotta beryllium ace dialed in.

“They’re the defending champs and you cognize their fans person been successful atmospheres and hype games and you cognize they’re fresh for their squad to do their thing. So, we conscionable gotta travel successful ace prepared and conscionable dial retired each the sound and conscionable travel successful and play together.”