For the first time this season, Luka Doncic and LeBron James scored 30 points each in the same game. But the talking point remained the issue about their starting center, Deandre Ayton. The 27-year-old’s uninspiring performances got him replaced, and the head coach dropped a concerning 4-word update.

Redick was blunt and simple when asked about Hayes’ impact and why he chose him over Ayton to close the game.

“He was playing better.”

Ayton finished with four points, six rebounds, and one steal in 25 minutes of action. He took just four field goal attempts and was not playing with the energy LA needed. But it was Hayes who finished with a respectable stat line and played the majority of the fourth quarter.

The 25-year-old Oklahoma native dropped 12 points, two rebounds, two steals, and one block in 23 minutes of action. JJ Redick trusted him enough to play 11 minutes in the fourth quarter. The Lakers improved to 11-0 in clutch-time wins this season after beating the Grizzlies 128-121. The game was tied twice in the fourth.

The main reason why Deandre Ayton struggled was that he couldn’t get his shots off. That’s why the rumors are circulating that the Lakers will be moving on from the Bahamian player. The recent result brought more perspective to his issues.

LA won the quarter by seven, and Hayes’ minutes by eight. They lost Ayton’s 25 on the floor on Friday night. The Lakers got a much-needed victory after dropping four of the previous five games. It continued a troubling trend for Ayton.

The Purple and Gold don’t have another starting-caliber center, and they needed Ayton to play better and be more engaged. This comes after JJ Redick tried to help the Center not too long ago.

The head coach had a specific instruction: ‘To be a lion.’ To help in visualization, Redick gave a t-shirt with half of Ayton’s face and half a lion’s face. This was in November, and in December, Ayton did what even Shaquille O’Neal couldn’t for the historic franchise.

Ayton became the first player in Lakers history to record a double-double without any misses or turnovers. He recorded 14 points, 12 rebounds, and two assists on 7 of 7 shooting from the field against the Philadelphia 76ers. He finished the game with a plus/minus of +10. But what the Lakers need is an elite rim protector, which is sadly not the case with Ayton.

Is LeBron James at fault for the reduced Deandre Ayton minutes?

JJ Redick’s decision to phase out Ayton was not made overnight. He previously was a high-volume shooter, which seemed to have benefited him and the Lakers. But his offensive display has reduced thanks to the return of LeBron James.

After the return, Ayton has attempted at least 10 field goals in just three games – and Los Angeles is losing because of it.

The Lakers are currently 11-1 when Ayton produces at least 10 field goal attempts. That inevitably brings their record to 9-9 when he fails to reach 10 shots, which would seemingly imply there’s a correlation between his involvement and team success.

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Los Angeles has also won nine consecutive games during which Ayton has recorded at least 10 field goal attempts, thus further strengthening the belief that he should be consistently featured.

Unfortunately, Ayton has attempted a minimum of 10 field goals in just three of his 15 appearances since James returned to the rotation. Shooting just 4 shots was his lowest since the game against the Jazz, where he had 1-2 and scored just 2 points in 13 minutes. Now, it becomes a headache for Reddick to how to involve Luka, LeBron, and Reaves, who are shooting brilliantly, and then Ayton. If not, then Hayes might continue to play important minutes until the Lakers trade for a starting center.