2024-03-03 06:10:56
Deandre Ayton’s first season with the Portland Trail Blazers did not go as expected. Injuries and tactical incompatibility made fans worried regarding his ability to match the vision of a young lineup…
Deandre Ayton’s first season with the Portland Trail Blazers did not go as expected. Injuries and tactical incompatibility made fans worried regarding his ability to match the vision of a young lineup.
Two weeks ago, The Athletic’s Jason Quick labeled the big man “late and angry” and called on the Blazers to trade the former No. 1 pick.
Whether you agree with Quick or not, there’s no denying that the 25-year-old is a talented seven-footer, and this is definitely not the best moment of his career.
Despite missing several games due to injury at the beginning of the season, Ayton is still one of the well-known iron men in the league. He has proven his ability in the NBA Finals and will fit right in with the Trail Blazers’ young lineup.
On paper, Ayton has the potential to be a top-five center in the league, but whether he can maintain a consistent performance remains to be seen. In fact, he still has a lot to work on.
Ayton and forward Toumani Camara originally went to Portland as the mainstay of the trade. For the Trail Blazers, Ayton is an upgraded version of Jusuf Nurkic. The Panamanian native is younger, more dynamic and an overall better player. Nurkic may be the better playmaker, but the actual numbers suggest there’s only a negligible difference between the two.
Photo credit: Getty Images
Ayton was selected No. 1 overall in the 2018 draft, ahead of Luka Doncic, Trae Young, Jaren Jackson Jr., Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Mikal Bridges, Jalen Brunson and Anfernee Simons.
Some scouts believe Ayton is a “civilian version of Joel Embiid” with excellent athleticism and instincts. He has spent his first five years as a professional athlete in Arizona and also played an important role in the Suns’ run to the 2021 NBA Finals.
Although Phoenix ultimately lost and missed the championship, Ayton declared to the world that he is a center who can perform well on both ends of the important stage. He went head-to-head with Brook Lopez and tried his best to keep Giannis Antetokounmpo.
In five years with the Suns, Ayton averaged 16.7 points (59.7% shooting), 10.4 rebounds, 1.6 assists, 1.0 shots and 0.7 steals per game. For most NBA centers, those are impressive numbers, especially for a player of his age and experience.
On paper, it would be unbelievable for the Suns to give up on the big man when they have Kevin Durant, Devin Booker and Bradley Beal entering the 2023-24 season.
However, an important factor affecting the game also includes player mentality. Reports have suggested that Ayton has grudges with coaches Monty Williams and Chris Paul, ironically neither of whom are now part of the Suns.
We can only speculate regarding what happened and whether the issues arose on the pitch, in the dressing room or around the negotiating table. But whatever it is, both sides are clearly looking for a new situation, and Portland is the beneficiary.
All the criticism and advice are indeed justified, but we have to know that Ayton was selected with the first overall pick, which not only brings a higher salary, but also brings tremendous pressure. That pressure may intensify when seeing Doncic, Trae and SGA each take on heavy responsibilities on their teams.
Perhaps Ayton may not be happy regarding the need to give the ball to stars like KD, Booker and Paul. Although basketball is a team game, it is not ruled out that talented players who have been held in the palm of their hands since childhood will have such a mentality.
So when he was traded, he had a place away from the spotlight to regroup and establish a place of his own. Despite his somewhat odd personality, he seemed to follow the pioneer rules.
Instead, the Blazers took a gamble on a big man who may be sensitive but is still very talented. For a small-market team that has long been unable to attract big-name stars, the risk is worth it for now.
There’s no doubting Ayton’s ability, and while it took time for him to find his rhythm in Portland, the past month has given us a glimpse of his impact on winning games.
In 38 games this season, Ayton averaged a career-low 13.8 points per game. However, he maintained his career averages in field goal percentage (56.0%), rebounds (10.4), assists (1.7), and hot shots (0.8), and set a career high in steals (1.1).
Of course, this is the data produced following returning from injury, and there is still a lot of room for adjustment when adjusting with the young lineup. Despite this, Ayton still proved his worth.
On the eve of NBA All-Star Weekend, the Blazers are slowly figuring out how to best utilize the big man. In the past ten games, Ayton’s average points per game have risen to 17.5 points, 10.7 rebounds, 2.1 assists, and a shooting percentage of 62.4%.
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