Look up his rookie year highlights for all his capabilities. You wonder what happened to him, he was projecting to be further along right now, but back then he was more of a focal piece.
So imo, I think this year Ayton thought of himself more as a role player, stepping back to Booker and CP3. He seemed happy with that but i think coaching and cp3 want more out of him as we progress into the season, realizing that we are one of the best teams needing a center to rely on offensively and defensively as we head toward the playoffs.
I'm not sure what else can motivate him to play at a high level most times rather than a few stretches here and there.