The Los Angeles Lakers are enjoying a strong start to the season, demonstrating championship aspirations even with a key player in LeBron James sidelined. Their recent 118-104 victory over the New Orleans Pelicans (2-10) marked their second win in the NBA Cup, pushing their season record to 9-4. The team currently sits among the top contenders in the Western Conference standings and appears poised to remain there, provided their best player, Luka Doncic, stays healthy through the long season.
The team has performed well even without veteran star LeBron James, who is expected to make his season debut Tuesday at home against the Utah Jazz. With James’ return imminent, the Lakers’ ceiling is only set to rise, but for now, it was a collective effort-and a new acquisition-that delivered a statement performance against the struggling Pelicans.
Ayton’s Dominant Night Rivals Shaq Historic Box Score
Against the Pelicans, the Lakers’ offense was spearheaded by Austin Reaves, who notched a team-high 31 points and is currently eighth in points per game across the NBA, cementing his case as the ideal third offensive option upon James’ return. Doncic contributed with a solid 24 points and dished out 12 assists, marking only his third game under 25 points in the nine contests he has played this year.
However, the most eye-opening performance came from newly acquired center Deandre Ayton. In 36 minutes of playing time, Ayton posted a dominant line of 20 points, 16 rebounds, two assists, two steals, and one block, while shooting an incredibly efficient 10-of-11 from the field.
These figures were historically significant for the franchise: Ayton became the first Laker since Shaquille O’Neal in 2002 to record a stat line of 20+ points and 15+ rebounds on 90% or better field goal shooting. Shaquille O’Neal achieved that feat in a game against the Celtics, finishing with 25 points and 17 rebounds.
Ayton, the 2018 first overall pick (selected two spots ahead of Doncic), is clearly determined to regain the form that helped his former team, the Suns, reach the Finals a few years ago. After a couple of quiet years with the Trail Blazers that led to his status as a top pick being questioned, Ayton is making a powerful early statement in Los Angeles.
Ayton’s Resurgence Lifts Star Teammates
Deandre Ayton’s historic outing is a notable achievement that neither future Hall of Famers LeBron James or Luka Doncic-nor the late Lakers legend Kobe Bryant-have accomplished. While logging 15 rebounds is a formidable challenge for non-centers, both Doncic and James are known for filling the stat sheet, making Ayton’s unique combination of efficiency and volume particularly impressive.
His consistent production this season is a great sign for the team’s stars, as Ayton has already registered four 20-point, 10-rebound games in his first 12 contests this season, matching two-thirds of his total of six such games from the entirety of last season.
His strong performance complements the excellent play of Doncic, who is leading the team in minutes (37), points (33.7), assists (9.2), and rebounds (8.9), and the continued breakout of Austin Reaves, who seems to improve his statistics every year. The imminent return of LeBron James promises to integrate even more firepower into a roster already showing great potential.
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