Things haven’t fully clicked for DeAndre Ayton during what was supposed to be a redemption chapter in his career with the Los Angeles Lakers. After a promising debut stretch that created optimism around his fit as the Lakers’ starting center, Ayton’s impact has been inconsistent, and his frustration with how he’s been deployed boiled over this week.
Ayton delivered a strong performance in the Lakers’ recent 110–109 loss to the Orlando Magic, posting 21 points and 13 rebounds on 8-of-11 shooting, his best output in weeks. But rather than defuse questions about his role, the outing seemed to crystallize them. According to NBA analyst Dave McMenamin, Ayton exited the locker room heading toward the showers after his post-game media availability and made a blunt remark loud enough for several teammates to hear:
“They’re trying to make me Clint Capela. I’m not no Clint Capela.”
The reference to Clint Capela, the veteran big man known throughout the league for his rim-running and screen-setting rather than offensive creation, was unmistakable. Ayton was essentially protesting what he saw as an overly restrictive role that limited his touches and offensive identity.
Capela himself didn’t let the comment go unanswered. Shortly after Ayton’s quote circulated, the Rockets center publicly responded.
The tension deepened with the Lakers’ very next game, a road contest against the Phoenix Suns, where Ayton struggled mightily. Starting and playing 23 minutes, he finished with just two points on 1-of-3 shooting, four rebounds and one steal – the only starter on the Lakers to fail to reach double-digit scoring. That rough performance fueled social-media reaction and fan criticism tied back to his Capela remark, as many observers seized on the statistical mismatch between his words and his on-court production.
Ayton’s frustration illuminates a broader debate about his fit in Los Angeles. Signed to give the Lakers a physical, rebounding-oriented presence in the paint alongside scorers like Luka Dončić and LeBron James, Ayton clearly believes he deserves a more dynamic offensive role than the one his coaching staff has carved out. But the Lakers’ vision for him, a big who sets hard screens, rolls decisively to the rim and occupies the interior defensively much like Capela did in his prime, doesn’t align with Ayton’s expressed desire to be more of a featured scorer and focal point near the basket.
As the Lakers navigate the final stretch of the regular season, this locker-room tension and the very public way it surfaced may complicate coach JJ Redick’s efforts to integrate Ayton into a system that already shoulders two bona fide offensive stars. Whether Ayton’s comments spark a shift in usage, or simply spotlight a mismatch between expectation and reality, remains an open question, but his latest remarks, and his subsequent performance against Phoenix, ensure the debate over his role won’t disappear quietly.
