Deandre Ayton’s start to life with the Los Angeles Lakers went exactly as many Lakers fans feared.
Deandre Ayton was widely criticized for scoring 10 points and grabbing six rebounds in the Los Angeles Lakers’ season-opening loss to the Golden State Warriors. With LeBron James sidelined with an injury, the big man was expected to put in a solid performance, but instead Ayton was largely unknown.
They also allowed a game-clinching offensive rebound to Jonathan Kuminga, and Stephen Curry stopped the game with less than a minute left.
After the game, Ayton admitted that he is a difficult center to play with and said Luka Doncic needs to figure out how to play together. That’s a concern for the Lakers since Ayton hasn’t had a strong showing in California.
However, Richard Jefferson explained why he’s not ready to rule out Ayton just yet.
Shaquille O’Neal slammed Ayton’s performance after the season opener, as the Lakers legend called for Ayton to “step up even more.” However, Jefferson responded to these comments on the Road Trippin’ Show by saying he still has a lot of games left before he can start evaluating his play.
“Ayton has to be the best version of himself. I don’t put too much effort into a game. He’s one of the most talented, overall skilled bigs. Are we going to see a new version of him? None of us really know.
“That performance was not good. I was taken out of the opening race. I got two technicals because I got into a mess with TJ Ford who was tugging on my jersey. That’s not an indicator of my season. It’s not an indicator of how my season is going to go.”
“I always say this: After 10 games, we can evaluate how you’re playing and how your team is doing. The real sample size is about 20 to 25 games. It should take about 10 to 20 games to know the play calls and know what the coaches expect. That’s all I’m saying.”
“We can analyze every game and say, ‘If they want to win the championship.’ It’s like Game 4.”
Unfortunately, he has a long history of underperformance, which is why the Portland Trail Blazers allowed Ayton to walk free this summer. Kendrick Perkins was another player who was less forgiving of the No. 1 pick in 2018.
Perkins, like O’Neal, was critical of Ayton. He saw a lack of strength among the Lakers’ big men and wanted to see Perkins put in the same level of effort as Houston Rockets center Steven Adams, with whom he played with the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Perkins said, “Shaq wasn’t telling you to go out there and score buckets. Shaq was telling you to go out there and be a power dog. Can you be Steven Adams? Steven Adams made his presence felt. Hard screens, 12-13 rebounds.”
“When Steven Adams ran on the floor, it wasn’t ballet dancing on the floor. He wasn’t standing on tiptoe. He was stomping.
“Shaq is saying, ‘Brother, show us your energy. Show your tenacity as a big man.'” That’s the same thing we’re talking about with Jarrett Allen. We want to see that power.
“And when you’re a big man, you know how the other guy thinks. It wasn’t a ‘Can you go out there and score 20 or 25 points?’ It was a ‘be a man’ criticism, and he wasn’t like that. He was too cowardly for me.”
In the season opener against the Thunder, Adams had four points and 13 rebounds. He has been one of the most physical players in the NBA for over a decade, allowing the New Zealander to have a long and successful career as one of the league’s most respected players.
If a player of Ayton’s caliber can play the game Adams does, he will become an unstoppable force in the league.