Los Angeles Lakers head coach JJ Redick praised center Deandre Ayton for his performance in the team’s 120-106 victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves on March 11. The Lakers secured their second consecutive win against a playoff team, with defense playing a key role and Ayton anchoring efforts in the paint.
Ayton contributed 14 points and 12 rebounds, serving as a consistent presence at the rim despite not recording any blocks. Redick highlighted Ayton’s impact, saying, “DA (Deandre Ayton) was fantastic tonight on that end. And then the first half, we really couldn’t make a shot. He was really the only one scoring efficiently for us.” Redick also noted improvements in defensive schemes and rotations, particularly in containing key Timberwolves players Julius Randle and Anthony Edwards.
Redick said that performances like this are important for building both confidence and trust within the team. “It’s great for his teammates to see him have a really good performance on both ends of the floor,” he said. “Bigger for DA to have a game like that against a really good team, one of the best teams in basketball. He’s won us and helped to win us a ton of games this year… But he was great tonight, it’s good for his confidence.”
The coach discussed how trust has grown among players throughout the season, especially on offense. “I think now, coming off some games in January and some games in February where I don’t think the trust was there on the offensive side as high as it should be, we’ve consistently been improving on that. It’s getting to a good place,” Redick said.
The Lakers’ recent success is notable given they have played without LeBron James due to injury over the last three games. Redick addressed how the team has managed to maintain its level of play despite missing their star player.
Looking ahead, continued strong performances from Ayton could further raise expectations for the Lakers as they move deeper into the season.