Former Phoenix Suns first overall pick Deandre Ayton sure has been getting a rough time of it recently.
Not only did he have a dreadful performance in the Los Angeles Lakers' recent loss in The Valley, former Phoenix front office members have publicly blasted him.
Chris Paul looks even better for working so well with Ayton
Which makes the fact future Ring of Honor member Chris Paul was able to get what amounted to an NBA Finals appearance out of the 27-year-old big man even more impressive in retrospect.
Paul has been visible since calling it a career just before All-Star Weekend, although to this point he has not been asked about playing with Ayton.
We know how he feels about Luka Doncic, and perhaps one day we will get an honest answer out of him about sharing the court with Ayton.
You’re not Beyoncé. 🗣️
— Road Trippin’ Show (@RoadTrippinShow) February 28, 2026
RJ and Perk relate their own experiences speaking on Deandre Ayton. If you don’t embrace your role, the game will move on without you.
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But for now all we can do is marvel at the fact Ayton was not only a lob threat but a defensive menace during that run to the 2021 finals, and Paul was running the show during that period.
If you think he's getting too much credit for this, consider that Ayton has been in two different situations than that of the Suns, and neither have worked out.
He claims he should not be compared to Clint Capela, and he had the opportunity to take on a franchise player type role with the Portland Trail Blazers.
We know that didn't happen, but neither has playing next to Doncic and LeBron James on what in theory is another contender in Los Angeles.
It is unclear exactly what Ayton wants, yet for a brief period of time Paul was able to give him the ball in the spots he wanted and make him feel involved enough on both ends to try.
At the time many fans felt giving him up for Jusuf Nurkic was a mistake, and although he failed to make the most of his own time with the Suns, we know Ayton wouldn't have worked with Kevin Durant.
As for Paul, well he extended the careers of less talented bigs such as Bismack Biyombo (again in Phoenix), so we know he has a proven track record with this.
It is just another reason to love him for all that he did in trying to get the Suns over the hump, and Ayton hasn't been close to the same player since he parted ways with Paul.