Deandre Ayton Claims He Has Nothing to Prove

Deandre Ayton is one of the most polarizing players in the NBA. He is a former first overall pick but has not lived up to his potential. There is a reason that the Phoenix Suns traded him, even though he did have some solid seasons with them. Per Basketball Intelligence, Ayton had some strong feelings pertaining to Portland Trail Blazers fans being frustrated with him.

“I got nothing to prove in this league,” Ayton told Basketball Intelligence. “I’m a max player, and I’ll continue to be a max player.”

“I’m letting them know how teams respect me in this league to where they can benefit off of it. I don’t always have to be a scorer or an offensive-minded big night in and night out,” Ayton said. “But just the work that I’ve been putting into with this league, teams overreact to everything that I do on the offensive end, whether it’s a roll to the basket, crashing the glass, setting good screens, slipping screens. They’re going to react with you just putting pressure on that rim. Our guys should just learn how to play point-five actions where it’s catch-and-shoot or it’s making a play for your teammate.”

Deandre Ayton signed a max offer sheet with the Indiana Pacers in the summer of 2022 that Phoenix eventually matched. He was traded to the Portland Trail Blazers this past offseason which was part of the deal that landed Bradley Beal with the Suns.

Deandre Ayton Says He Has “Nothing to Prove,” and is a “Max Player”

Why Trail Blazer Fans Are Frustrated

To say Ayton has had a down year would be an understatement. He is only averaging 12.5 points per game which is a career-low. On top of this, Ayton is also only tallying 1.5 assists, a field goal percentage of 53.1 percent, and an offensive rating of 107. He is still averaging double-figures (10.3 per game) in rebounding, but the production in other facets is certainly not the same. Ayton’s defensive production has also faltered ever since his days in Phoenix and peers are taking notice of this drop-off. This year, he has a career-worst defensive rating of 115, 0.7 blocks per game, and a defensive box plus/minus of -0.4. It is no secret that Portland is rebuilding. However, Deandre Ayton has done little to help with the process this season.

Can Deandre Ayton Ever Regain His Form?

It is hard to tell if Deandre Ayton will ever reach his true ceiling. Despite not living up some expectations, he was still first overall pick for a reason. One could make an argument that Ayton still needs to have the right system for him to truly thrive. However, the big man also had plenty of talent around him in Phoenix with the likes of Devin Booker, Chris Paul, and Kevin Durant. His work ethic has also been questioned in the past. It is no secret that Deandre Ayton has not lived up to his potential and one can make an argument that his recent comments come off as defensive. Time will tell if he can get his bearings with the Portland Trail Blazers.