Ayton pays tribute to head coach Redick after Lakers win over Trail Blazers

According to US sports media F/W columnist Gautam Warrier, Ayton has had a surprisingly good start as a member of the Lakers. There were a lot of concerns about him heading into the new season, and while he may not have allayed them all, he's been performing pretty well. Ayton shined as the Lakers beat the Trail Blazers 123-115 while shorthanded, and he showed some love to head coach Redick afterward. The 27-year-old posted an Instagram post titled "Love ya love," which included a photo of Redick coaching him during the game.

There was a lot of discussion before the season that Redick and Ayton might not be a good fit. The former is as intense as the coach, while the latter is often criticized for his lack of athleticism. Redick losing patience with a player like Ayton was considered a possibility, but so far so good. Ayton scored 29 points, 10 rebounds, 2 assists and 3 blocks against his former team, the Trail Blazers. The Lakers seemed destined to enter this clash as they were without Doncic, James and Reeves, but the big man stepped up.

Ayton is now averaging 16.9 points, 8.1 rebounds, 1.3 assists, 0.4 steals and 1.1 blocks per game for the Lakers in the 2025-26 season. That’s great production for a guy on a two-year, $16.6 million contract. The Lakers reportedly believed Redick would outweigh Ayton's contract, and so far he's done just that. The key, though, is making sure he maintains this level of effort and play throughout the season.

Redick has been an NBA head coach for just over a year, and he'll back himself up to do so. The 41-year-old believes he is right too, as he has done a phenomenal job coaching so far. Redick led the Lakers to a 50-32 record last season, and they look to be even better this time around. They beat the Trail Blazers to improve to 6-2 this season, and not many people saw the injuries coming. James has yet to play for the Lakers this season, while Doncic has appeared in four of eight games. Most teams in the NBA struggle when their two best players miss time, but not the Lakers.

Ayton credited Redick for this Lakers team's ability to cope with the absence of its star. He instilled a culture of professionalism and the entire team trusted everything he told them. For Redick, who has played 15 seasons in the NBA, to reach this point so early in his coaching career is pretty impressive. When reports emerged that the Lakers believed he had the potential to be as influential as the legendary Pat Riley in their search for a new head coach in 2024, many scoffed.

It's obviously too early to say Redick is on this path right now, but the Lakers have hit the jackpot by hiring him. He's not perfect, but he ticks a lot of boxes you want in a coach. Redick now hopes to lead the Lakers to their fifth straight victory over the Spurs in their next game. This will likely be the biggest test of the season so far for Redick and Ayton as they need to figure out how to deal with Vunbanyama.