After the Los Angeles Lakers squeaked out a 108-106 win over the Utah Jazz, coach JJ Redick delivered a strong message regarding Deandre Ayton‘s injury. Ayton was ruled out of the second half due to a right knee contusion. Speaking to the media in his postgame press conference, Redick was asked about an update on Ayton’s condition. The second-year coach didn’t want to speculate on his big man’s injury, but he wanted everyone to know that it’s next man up for his team. “I mean, everybody’s got to be ready. I don’t want to speculate on DA, but you know, we feel confident that we have enough options,” Redick said. Ayton was unable to practice on Saturday because of illness, but he was cleared to play against the Jazz. However, he suffered a right knee contusion after colliding with Ace Bailey in the first quarter. He tried to play through the injury before getting ruled out of the second half. “He had gotten hit on his leg in the first half and was kind of limping through it. The former No. 1 pick finished with just two points, two rebounds and one steal in 13 minutes. Redick’s Options if Ayton Gets Ruled Out The Los Angeles Lakers haven’t released an update on Deandre Ayton‘s injury. They are flying back home to Los Angeles, so Ayton is likely to be evaluated on Monday before an official diagnosis is announced. The Lakers are set to start a four-game homestand on November 25 against the Los Angeles Clippers. If Ayton gets ruled out, coach JJ Redick has solid options off the bench. Jaxson Hayes and Maxi Kleber split the minutes at center in the second half, as per Bleacher Report. Hayes is more of a rim runner and prefers to be in the dunker’s spot, while Kleber stretches the floor with his 3-point shooting. Ayton is having a solid start to his Lakers career, averaging 15. 5 points and 8. 4 rebounds per game. He signed a two-year, $16 million deal with the purple and gold franchise in free agency. He has a player option for next season, so he’s playing for a new contract. Ayton Underappreciated This Season After recording three consecutive 20-point, 10-rebound games, Deandre Ayton received a shoutout from NBA analyst MJ Acosta-Ruiz. The host of The Association on NBA TV praised Ayton’s performances for the Los Angeles Lakers this season, describing his contribution to the 12-win team as “underappreciated.” “He has been going off; he has four 20 and 10 games already through the season, which is what he had all of last year. And he is anchoring this Lakers defense at the moment. I think he’s one of those guys.
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JJ Redick Sends Strong Message After Deandre Ayton Injury
