A 12-time NBA All-Star used to ‘scream’ at the Los Angeles Lakers’ new signing, says ESPN’s Brian Windhorst.
As ever, the Lakers are in the headlines this free agency, and have drawn criticism for their approach to signing players.
They were in desperate need of a big man going into the offseason, and while they missed out on some key potential targets, the Lakers have made a signing at center.
But Windhorst has questioned the fit of their new addition and recounted that he frustrated an NBA superstar at his former team.
Chris Paul was ‘screaming’ at Deandre Ayton, says Brian Windhorst
Deandre Ayton, the Lakers’ new signing, has never been short on talent. The former number one pick averaged 18 points and 10 rebounds for the Phoenix Suns in 2022-23.
But he’s a number one pick that hasn’t met his potential, and some of that has been considered to be due to his attitude.
He has come under fire for an apparent lack of effort in rebounding and defence, which used to frustrate his former teammate and 12-time All-Star Chris Paul in Phoenix, according to Windhorst.
On The Hoop Collective podcast, Windhorst said, “I did a piece on him a couple of years ago when he was sort of ascending, and the Suns were ascending, and I remember finding all of these videos of Chris Paul screaming at him in the huddle.
“Every single huddle, Chris Paul was yelling at him about something, every single night.”
Paul, an all-time NBA player, is known for his confrontational approach to leadership, and it got the best out of Ayton. The Suns made the Finals in 2021 with Ayton as their starting centre, so he can clearly be an effective piece on a contender.
So, perhaps the best way to get the most out of Ayton is through Paul’s aggressive approach.
Deandre Ayton to the Lakers could be a circus fire, says Tim MacMahon
It seems that, depending on his attitude and application, Ayton on the Lakers can go one of two ways.
He can feed off the playmaking prowess of LeBron James and Luka Doncic, unless James gets traded. Or his lack of defensive or rebounding prowess could kill the Lakers’ chances of contention.
ESPN’s Tim MacMahon said he spoke to a former staffer from Ayton’s former teams, the Suns and the Portland Trail Blazers, who gave contrasting opinions.
MacMahon reported on The Hoop Collective, “The Phoenix staffer said, ‘this is not going to work. Luka is going to get fed up with him, JJ Redick is going to be driven crazy, this is going to be a disaster.’
“The former Portland staffer said, ‘Ayton’s going to understand the situation here. He’s not a max player; he’s a guy that’s been dumped by two franchises and is playing on a ‘prove it’ deal at the mid-level here: a one-year deal plus a player option.
“‘That’s going to create a sense of urgency, and it’s going to create a hunger that he’s not had in his first two stops in the league.’”
MacMahon shared his own opinion and thinks it will go one of two ways.
He continued, “With Ayton, it’s all about attitude and his willingness to do the dirty work. If he does those things, he has a chance to be a long-term fit. I think it’s going to be a long-term fit, or a short-term circus fire.”
For one of the most successful teams in NBA history, championships alone should be what matters to the Lakers. Does Ayton bring their ceiling closer to that goal? Absolutely. But they need to consider carefully how to get the best out of him.