Dave McMenamin thinks the Los Angeles Lakers are fooling themselves. Sure, they brought in Deandre Ayton this offseason, hoping the 6-foot-11 former No. 1 pick would finally solve their interior problems. But the ESPN analyst isn’t buying it. He believes the same weakness that crushed their playoff dreams in 2025 is still lurking, waiting to destroy another championship run.
Why Does McMenamin Think the Lakers’ Middle Still Looks Vulnerable?
The Lakers’ bringing in Ayton fills the hole for a center that became glaringly obvious in their 2025 playoffs run. However, McMenamin is still doubtful the move will translate to actual results when the 2025-26 season kicks off. He didn’t sugarcoat his assessment of the Lakers’ interior.
“Nothing the Lakers do is under the radar, so this potential pitfall might seem more obvious than the other contenders’ concerns,” he said. “But until proved otherwise, L.A. is soft in the middle.”
McMenamin’s words hit home for Lakers fans who remember how last postseason played out. In Game 3 of their first-round series against Minnesota, the Timberwolves dominated inside, racking up 56 points in the paint compared to L.A.’s 26. That’s a two-to-one advantage that tells the whole story about what went wrong.
It wasn’t just about scoring, either. The Wolves pounded the boards, wore the Lakers down physically, and made life miserable for their guards. By Game 5, Rudy Gobert was doing whatever he wanted, finishing with 27 points and 24 rebounds in the series-clincher that sent L.A. home early.
Part of the issue was coach JJ Redick’s reluctance to trust his bigs. Jaxson Hayes played fewer than 10 minutes in any game and sat out the finale entirely. Without a rim-protecting anchor, the Lakers simply couldn’t withstand the pounding inside. Now they’re betting Ayton will be that anchor, but McMenamin isn’t sure that’s a safe wager.
Why Does Ayton’s Impressive Resume Still Come With Major Question Marks?
McMenamin notes that on paper, Ayton’s arrival makes sense. At just 27, he’s already put up career averages of 16.4 points on 59% shooting, along with 10.5 rebounds and a block per game. The Lakers signed him to a two-year, $16.6 million deal after he was bought out by the Portland Trail Blazers, which is a relative bargain given his pedigree.
But there’s another side to the story that should worry Lakers fans. Ayton has struggled to stay involved in big moments, particularly when his team needs him most. Since the 2023 playoffs with the Phoenix Suns, when he missed an elimination game with a rib injury, he hasn’t played much meaningful basketball. His time in Portland was rocky, with reports of tardiness, skipped rehab sessions, and clashes inside the locker room.
Then there’s the defensive question that haunts his entire career. While Ayton brings size, critics point out that he doesn’t always impact shots at the rim the way an elite center should. For a team that desperately needs an interior enforcer, that’s a massive concern that could sink their season.
The rest of the depth chart doesn’t offer much relief either. Hayes is still in a backup role, Maxi Kleber is coming off a serious foot injury, and Jarred Vanderbilt, L.A.’s small-ball option, played only 36 games in the 2024-25 season. That’s a lot of uncertainty for a team with championship aspirations.
For the Lakers, it all boils down to whether Ayton can be more than just a stat-sheet big. They don’t just need numbers from their new center. They need someone who can take the pounding, protect the paint, and give them the kind of interior presence that can survive deep into the playoffs when the games get physical and every possession matters.
Until he proves it on the court, McMenamin says the middle remains the Lakers’ soft spot. In the brutal Western Conference, that’s a dangerous place to be vulnerable.
