The average height of the Portland Trail Blazers' starting lineup is 6-foot-8, which is the tallest in the association this season. They have a size advantage every game, but it was even more apparent in their first three games against the Golden State Warriors and New Orleans Pelicans (twice), as well as in their most recent matchup against the Oklahoma City Thunder.
The Blazers played a competitive first half, but the Thunder ran away with it in the second half, winning 137-114. With Isaiah Hartenstein still recovering from a fractured hand, Jaylin Williams out with a hamstring strain, and Chet Holmgren limited to just 18 minutes due to foul trouble, Thunder head coach Mark Daigneault was forced to go with guard-heavy lineups.
Deandre Ayton rarely goes to the charity stripe
Despite the size discrepancy and Holmgren's foul trouble, Deandre Ayton didn't go to the charity stripe once. The Blazers' guards and Chauncey Billups should also take some responsibility. Their entry passes and game plan to get Ayton the ball to take advantage of the mismatch were also frustrating, frequently trying to lob it in from the middle instead of finding proper angles for more effective passes from the wing.
However, Ayton is also to blame for his disappointing game, as his lack of free-throw attempts isn't anything new. He's averaging the most two-point field goal attempts on the team (12 per game) by far but only averages 0.5 free throw attempts per game. That's the second lowest attempts per game on the entire team, behind only Duop Reath, who has only played in garbage time so far this season. Ayton's first season with Portland (1.4 attempts) wasn't much better, either.
Ayton has been playing well to start 2024-25, averaging 14.3 points and 11 rebounds per game, but he could become closer to a 20-point-scorer if he got to the foul line more. It's no surprise that the best centers in the game are atop the position in free throw attempts. Nikola Jokic is averaging 7.4 attempts per game this season. Joel Embiid averaged 11.7 in his 2022-23 MVP season.
As the highest-paid player on the Blazers' roster (owed nearly $70 million for the next two seasons), it's reasonable to expect Ayton to expand this aspect of his game and become closer to a 20-10 type player. His mid-range game is excellent, especially for a center, but too often, he settles for jumpers when he has a smaller defender on him. Ayton needs to stop shying away from contact and get to the charity more to unlock his full offensive potential.
It's one thing for the Blazers to have the height advantage in every game, but it doesn't mean much unless they capitalize on mismatches. Ayton playing more aggressively and attacking the basket will significantly help with that.