The Lakers' starting center reflects and admits the problem lies with himself, no longer dragging the team down.

Today, American media The Athletic reporter Dan Woike wrote an article titled "Deandre Ayton says he is '110%' committed to the Lakers after looking in the mirror and reflecting on himself," with the full content as follows:

At some point after Ayton and the Los Angeles Lakers lost to the Denver Nuggets away (March 6), the 2018 top draft pick made a decision.

He thought he would never be a burden dragging the team down again. Beyond affecting the game's outcome, he wouldn't worry about anything else. He would never again take the opportunity to play meaningful basketball for granted.

After experiencing his best week of performance in a long time, Ayton found himself on the bench Monday against the Houston Rockets. More unexpectedly, Capella appeared to have better rhythm and greater impact early in the game. But when the Lakers were completely overwhelmed on rebounds and desperately needed interior strength, head coach Redick still brought in his starting center.

Just like in previous wins against the New York Knicks, Minnesota Timberwolves, and Denver Nuggets, Ayton made contributions that helped win the game, aiding the Lakers to continue their momentum. He sat on the bench for most of the half, but that didn't matter—he stayed synchronized with the team, ready to step up when needed.

"I tell you, usually if I sit that long, it's just like that," Ayton told The Athletic with a smile. "It's like... 'You (being off) have a reason—go think about it.' But recently it's become, 'No, DA, you're fine.'"

"And I'm completely... I'm committed. Fully committed, 110% committed. I hope you can see my effort."

This Lakers center's journey has had some ups and downs. His energy and impact have fluctuated as the team searched for a winning formula.

Sometimes, the Lakers would bench Ayton in the closing stages of games, using substitutes Hayes or Kleber instead. Other times, they even played a small lineup without a center. Notably, despite inconsistent performance issues, Ayton always found ways to bounce back and stay connected with the team.

Like many other Lakers issues—such as balancing ball possession between Doncic, Reaves, and James, or determining defensive strategies without multiple excellent ball-handling defenders—making Ayton comfortable in his role itself requires time.

The Lakers don't need Ayton to catch and shoot from short distances after pick-and-rolls, hitting those 12-foot jump shots. They also don't need him to stretch out for long-range two-pointers—though he fully possesses that skill. They need him to be active defensively, secure rebounds to end opponents' possessions defensively, and set screens aggressively and roll to the basket on offense to sustain the team's offensive opportunities.

These are things that may not always show up on the stat sheet. For Ayton, it's about relearning how to impact the game when he's no longer the offensive focal point.

"That's the truth. That's the absolute truth," he told The Athletic Monday regarding scoring. "But I, I discarded (the obsession with scoring), I put it behind me.I told myself... talking about scoring, we don't need that. We need you to put that energy you used on offense onto defense."

"I started looking in the mirror at myself, then said 'Hey, man... you're not that kind of player.You don't need to do those things on this team at all. You came to this team to be the guy who provides energy, finishes defensive possessions, grabs rebounds. Run hard, make the opposing interior uncomfortable, make the opposing core players uncomfortable."

"And I'm enjoying it, really, no kidding."

Without doubt, Ayton is an elevator of the Lakers' ceiling—he becomes an X-factor as the team pushes toward the playoffs. Recently, he recommitted to playing with the energy the team needs, as the team sharpens its focus for the playoffs.

He admits he hasn't always reached that level. Now, Ayton says he has adjusted.

"JJ (Redick) keeps emphasizing to us that this is playoff atmosphere, we're fighting for playoff spots," Ayton said. "You can see LeBron is focused, Luka—everyone is extremely focused, and I just got tired of being the one falling behind. I think I told the media a few days ago, I finally caught up."

"The team has been there (waiting for me); it was just me falling behind."

The Lakers (43 wins, 25 losses) have achieved a six-game winning streak and won nine of their last ten games, with Ayton contributing strong performances in recent games.

Wednesday's game will be Ayton's 60th appearance this season—his highest attendance since his final season with the Suns. Despite career lows in average minutes, points, and rebounds, Ayton understands that returning to the playoffs and playing meaningful basketball is exactly why he wanted to come to Los Angeles.

Whether scoring 23 points and 10 rebounds against the undersized Bulls, showing tough defense against Jokic in overtime, or finishing strong in the second half after a long rest against the Rockets, Ayton stepped up when the Lakers needed him.

"I'm full of energy, and I'm playing happily," Ayton said. "So I really like the team trusting me, man. I just don't want to lose that trust, bro. That's what really gets my blood pumping, makes me impatient, anxiously waiting to get back on the court, really."

"It's about rediscovering the joy of playing—no kidding."