Anybody who questioned the Trail Blazers washing their hands of Deandre Ayton last summer has long been hushed. Portland made the right decision letting the big man go in order to prioritize Donovan Clingan, and the validity of that statement keeps getting proven over and over again, because Ayton has been nothing but a letdown for the Lakers.
Portland continues to be vindicated for releasing Deandre Ayton
Ayton’s counting stats this season look solid. He’s averaging 13.2 points while shooting 67.5% from the field, which ranks second in the NBA behind Rudy Gobert. The former number one pick is also grabbing 8.5 rebounds (2.5 offensive) and blocking one shot per game. He’s always been able to produce, but the numbers don’t tell the real story.
Lack of effort and overall impact have become part of Ayton’s nature. His nonexistent motor is no longer a fixable flaw. One would think he would have taken a long, hard look in the mirror after the Blazers flat-out cut him, but he didn’t. Ayton acts like he’s allergic to physicality, and it seriously limits his ability to make a difference on both ends of the floor.
He hasn’t been anything close to the defensive anchor Los Angeles hoped he could be. He’s in his eighth season, and he still struggles to protect the rim and guard pick-and-rolls, despite absolutely having the physical tools to do so effectively. Again, everything comes back to his effort, or lack thereof.
Ayton could be a dominant offensive force in the paint because of his massive frame and silky touch, but he’s more inclined to hang around floater range and toss up short middies instead of using his size. He’s attempting just 1.8 free throws per game on the year, an unbelievably low rate for a center.
Overall, Ayton is a talented player, but he’s never going to live up to his expectations, and it's almost entirely his fault.
The Blazers picked the right center
Everything Deandre Ayton isn’t, Donovan Clingan is. Portland’s sophomore center is the ideal traditional five-man. Clingan is a world-eater on the glass, leading the league in offensive rebounds per game at 4.7. He’s also a much more steadfast interior defender than Ayton, stonewalling the paint and making an even bigger impact than his 1.4 blocks per game suggest. Most importantly, he has no ego, he works hard, and he buys into his team’s culture.
So, while Lakers fans and coaches alike are having to deal with a Deandre Ayton problem, the Blazers can only look on and laugh, knowing they have the right man in the middle.