Despite a 39-point outing from Scoot Henderson, the Portland Trail Blazers fell to the Brooklyn Nets 132-114. The Blazers were missing some key pieces -- Jerami Grant, Deni Avdija, Robert Williams III, and Matisse Thybulle -- but still, to surrender 132 points to a rebuilding Brooklyn team at home is borderline inexcusable.
Give credit to the Nets, who shot 19-of-41 from beyond the arc and seemed to have an answer every time Portland tried clawing its way back in the game. But more so than anything, this loss was due to a lack of effort.
The lack of energy was apparent throughout the game on the defensive end, as there was little communication, and rotations were lazy. But the offense was stagnant as well. The main culprit was Deandre Ayton, who had just two points and eight rebounds and was essentially nonexistent on either end of the court.
Chauncey Billups only played Ayton for 24 minutes, which we can guess was attributed to the lack of effort. This wasn't the first time Ayton's effort has been an issue this season. Billups played Ayton just two minutes in the second half of Portland's 141-99 blowout loss to Utah, calling out his lack of spirit.
Channing Frye goes off on (presumably) Deandre Ayton
Ayton's most recent lackluster effort was also called out by Blazers big man Channing Frye on X (profanity warning).
"I'm watching the Blazer game, and it is gross watching a certain player absolutely F--K OFF his minutes is unreal. Please stop playing this person Trailblazers", wrote Frye.
While Frye didn't directly name Ayton, Blazers fans who watched this game, or even throughout the season, can make a reasonable assumption.
Ayton is currently Portland's highest-paid player, owed $34 million this season and $35.6 million in 2025-26. Unfortunately, this situation could drag on if the Blazers can't find someone willing to take on Ayton, as his massive contract makes it difficult to move him by the Feb. 6 trade deadline. The Blazers are more likely to be able to find a trade for Ayton in the summer when teams can roster more than 15 players and have much more financial flexibility.
This is turning into a messy situation, and it doesn't appear to be improving anytime soon. It's hard to see Ayton having consistent effort as the Blazers' playoff chances become increasingly slimmer as the season goes on. You'd think Ayton would be revitalized in Portland and want everyone wrong with his new team, as these were similar criticisms he received in Phoenix. But as of now, that isn't the case.
Channing Frye, welcome to the Deandre Ayton experience.