Deandre Ayton On Why He Plays As Point Guard In NBA 2K: “I Wanna Have An Imagination Of Shooting The 3 Ball Too”

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Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images

Deandre Ayton knows his role on the court in real life. But when the video game controller is in his hands, the Los Angeles Lakers’ new center is living out a very different dream.

Speaking at Los Angeles Lakers media day, Ayton revealed his go-to move in NBA 2K has nothing to do with screens or dunks. Instead, he prefers to run the show.

“I’m playing as a point guard in NBA 2K. You get tired of setting screens and rollin.’ I wanna have an imagination of shooting the 3 ball too.”

The lighthearted comment is rooted in a serious truth: Deandre Ayton’s outside shot has never been a reliable part of his arsenal. For his career, the 7-footer has shot just 28-for-122 from deep, a 23.0% clip.

Last season, he launched more threes than in any year of his career, going 6-for-32 (18.8%). His best shooting stretch came in 2021-22, when he managed 7-for-19 for a respectable 36.8%, but those attempts were rare and carefully chosen.

In NBA 2K, however, the restrictions don’t apply. With a three-point rating of just 63, Ayton’s virtual jumper is still considered below-average, but that hasn’t stopped him from putting himself in the role of a playmaking guard and letting it fly from distance.

It’s not hard to see why Lakers fans might cringe if Ayton ever brought that same approach to real games. With LeBron James, Luka Doncic, and Austin Reaves already orchestrating the offense, and with Rui Hachimura spacing the floor, the Lakers aren’t counting on their new center to suddenly turn into a three-point weapon.

Still, Deandre Ayton has made it clear this Lakers chapter is different for him. After stints in Phoenix and Portland, he’s called Los Angeles “somewhere it counts,” admitting he feels like a “wounded animal” ready to prove himself on the league’s biggest stage.

That means embracing the grind, anchoring the defense, and being a force inside, not pretending to be Stephen Curry.

But in the safe space of NBA 2K, Deandre Ayton allows himself to explore what it feels like to be the guy pulling up from 30 feet.

For the Lakers’ sake, though, fans hope Ayton keeps that imagination on the screen and sticks to what he does best on the floor.

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Vishwesha Kumar is a staff writer for Fadeaway World from Bengaluru, India. Graduating with a Bachelor of Technology from PES University in 2020, Vishwesha leverages his analytical skills to enhance his sports journalism, particularly in basketball. His experience includes writing over 3000 articles across respected publications such as Essentially Sports and Sportskeeda, which have established him as a prolific figure in the sports writing community.Vishwesha’s love for basketball was ignited by watching LeBron James, inspiring him to delve deeply into the nuances of the game. This personal passion translates into his writing, allowing him to connect with readers through relatable narratives and insightful analyses. He holds a unique and controversial opinion that Russell Westbrook is often underrated rather than overrated. Despite Westbrook's flaws, Vishwesha believes that his triple-double achievements and relentless athleticism are often downplayed, making him one of the most unique and electrifying players in NBA history, even if his style of play can sometimes be polarizing. 
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