The Deandre Ayton saga is continuing outside of The Valley as the rival Los Angeles Lakers are now having to navigate the headaches the former No. 1 overall pick provides whichever team who employs him.
Lakers coach JJ Redick said back in January that DA was “frustrated” and that “he doesn’t feel like he’s getting the ball.”
Those frustrations continued into February when reporting from ESPN’s Dave McMenamin relayed that Ayton lamented the Lakers were “trying to make me Clint Capela” and that “I’m not no Clint Capela.”
Those comments prompted former Phoenix Suns front office member and Sirius XM radio host Amin Elhassan to lambast Ayton, saying in part “You wish you were Clint Capela.”
It’s been one news cycle after another for Ayton and the Lakers since they signed him last offseason in hopes he’d be a successful rim-running, lob-catching big man alongside stars Luka Doncic and LeBron James.
Unfortunately for the Lakers, the fit has been ill-fated between the two parties. In addition to averaging a career-low 12.2 points per game this season, the Lakers are 4.2 points per 100 possessions better when Ayton is on the bench vs. when he’s on the court. Opponents score 1.8 points per 100 possessions more when he’s out there and the Lakers as a team are scoring 2.2 points per 100 possessions more when Ayton sits.
Add in the fact that Ayton’s been a malcontent upset about his offensive touches and being compared to Capela — now a veteran backup for the Houston Rockets who continues to be among the best rim protectors in the NBA — Suns fans can only nod along having seen this playbook before.
Now, Redick has fresh criticism for the 27-year-old center.
JJ Redick says Ayton is ‘having trouble catching the ball’
Speaking at a recent press conference, Redick said that Ayton has “had trouble catching the ball.”
He added, “We’ve ran a bunch of plays for him, he’s just had trouble catching the ball. I don’t know if that’s the passing or if it’s him trying to get position. He just hasn’t been able to catch the ball.”
To his credit, Redick has seemed to try everything in his power to keep Ayton both engaged and get him more involved in the offense. But his inability to consistently catch passes is a big red flag.
Suns fans were frequently frustrated with Ayton during his stint in Phoenix for not being assertive enough on offense. He’d rarely dunk the ball and would often settle for fadeaway jump shots over smaller defenders instead of imposing his will down on the block.
After being traded away from Phoenix and waived by the Portland Trail Blazers, the enigma that is the former first overall draft selection is LA and Redick’s to try and solve.
As his first season in Los Angeles nears postseason time, it’s tough to imagine the Lakers’ brass expected all this hullabaloo when they signed him.
Suns fans certainly could have given them the scoop.