Most of the attention was given to Deandre Ayton<\/a>, as he played for the first time in a Los Angeles Lakers jersey. Interestingly, Ayton\u2019s first game was against his former team, the Phoenix Suns.<\/p>\n Devin Booker\u2019s vagueness on Ayton\u2019s chances<\/a> with the Lakers raised a lot of eyebrows, with many wondering whether he knew something about the player that others didn\u2019t.<\/p>\n And after Ayton\u2019s first preseason game ended disappointingly, fans are in agreement that the Lakers may have overestimated his abilities.<\/p>\n In the LA Lakers\u2019 preseason opener, Deandre Ayton started the game and played for 18 minutes before taking the bench. He scored just one point and attempted two shots, while grabbing eight rebounds and two blocks.<\/p>\n Many fans responded after Ayton\u2019s first game. One fan remarked, \u201cLakers fans found their new scapegoat.\u201d<\/p>\n Another fan predicted Ayton\u2019s woes to continue, noting, \u201cLakers fans will soon understand the pain. They\u2019re in the denial stage now.\u201d<\/p>\n One fan poked fun at the Lakers fanbase, writing, \u201cLakers fans thought he was their savior.\u201d However, not everyone was blaming Ayton, with some even coming to his defense.<\/p>\n A Lakers fan rightly pointed out, \u201cI guess we\u2019re posting preseason stats with the team\u2019s two best players and playmakers out?\u201d<\/p>\n Another fan urged people to watch the games, saying, \u201cHe looked solid watching the game. Only box score watchers would hate.\u201d<\/p>\n A third fan echoed these sentiments, claiming, \u201cHe was great besides scoring. And it\u2019s pre-season.\u201d<\/p>\n LA Lakers have a poor preseason start as a whole<\/p>\n While Deandre Ayton didn\u2019t do much to impress fans with his first game as an LA Lakers star, the same can be said for the rest of the squad.<\/p>\n Outside of Austin Reaves<\/a> and RJ Davis, who combined for 34 points on 11-19 shooting, the rest of the team was wildly inefficient.<\/p>\n The Lakers drop their preseason opener, 103-81 to PHX. Reaves 20p on 6-of-11 in 21 mins; Ayton 1p 8r 2b 4tos; RJ Davis 14p on 5-of-8; Rui 11p on 3-for-12 2s; Bronny 8p on 1-of-12; Knecht 6p on 2-of-10.<\/p>\n \u2014 Dave McMenamin (@mcten) October 4, 2025<\/a> <\/p>\n View Tweet<\/p>\n Dalton Knecht<\/a>, in particular, was quite poor, going 2-10 from the field and 1-7 from deep. It looks like Knecht\u2019s Summer League woes<\/a> have carried over into the preseason.<\/p>\n The Lakers will be hoping to turn things around in their next preseason fixture against the Golden State Warriors on Sunday night.<\/p>\n ![\"Deandre](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/GettyImages-2238156055-865x627.jpg\")
Photo by Ronald Martinez\/Getty ImagesNBA fans weigh in on Deandre Ayton\u2019s debut disasterclass<\/p>\n