Deandre Ayton on his role with the Lakers: “I’m here to give the Lakers what they’ve been missing for a long time: a big that can put up numbers, anchor the defense, and be a presence on both ends of the floor.”
If you’re charitable you take this as AD is a power forward
Assuming that interpretation he’s right
Yes I don’t think Ayton is taking a shot at AD, he’s not that kind of personality. Especially when AD is just a far better player
The Lakers centers have been pretty awful since the Bubble run
In answering the previous question he was very complimentary of AD so I also don’t think it was a deliberate shot, but still probably shouldn’t have said ‘what they were missing for a long time’ lmao
We haven’t had a center (that didn’t openly complain about playing center) that can do this in a long time
But they have been missing a good center for a long time if you don’t consider AD one
Yeah but he says ‘big’, and previously compares AD to Jokic and Giannis.
Maybe nine months is a long time.
And also if you realize he missed half of like every other season. Kinda knocks off all of that shit where people think he’s amazing when he can’t actually play a lot of the time
AD was asking for a center for a while. So he’s basically saying what AD was saying
AD doesn’t consider himself a center though.
The only person who’d be pissed is well no one
The issue is a “big” is either a PF or a C. If he had just said center this wouldn’t even have been posted. It’s such a PR trained answer. Him saying big makes it click baitable
AD was the main guy who wanted the lakers to have a good Center anyway. in the bubble run we had Javale and Dwight Howard which allowed AD to stick with primarily being the 4
Ah yes, I too love to reminisce, about the bubble run. My heart just skipped beat. /s
I hate Ayton as much as any Suns fan, but he’s not the type of guy to just trash a player like this. He probably forgot about AD and was just thinking about how the Lakers needed a guy to deal with Gobert last postseason.
He’s probably thinking exclusively of Jaxson “7 foot but still not a lob threat” Hayes
Hayes is a good lob threat, just that everything else is a question mark
Or he’s probably just considering AD as a PF and not a C
I think Ayton may have just forgotten about AD being a Laker for several years. He got there and the center rotation was Hayes/Kleber.
I mean, you not wrong but it’s also very possible Ayton’s just an airhead too lmao
He’s what 25?
“Since the Luka trade” is a long time to him
Kleber played one game for like 5 minute last season. The big rotation was Hayes/Len, which was somehow even worse.
During the Tampa raptors season, Len was so washed he couldn’t earn minutes over any of: Aaron Baynes (our glorious tank commander), Khem Birch, Freddie Gillespie. I couldn’t believe the lakers signed him 4 years later
He’s got worse hands than Biz and didn’t have the locker room vibes or defence
he’s still considered a “big” tho. just like how i consider mobley and chet bigs even tho they’re playing as PF
Right but I doubt this is a shot at AD. Lakers fans themselves have been asking for a good C next to AD to let him play the 4 for years since the bubble run
AD wanted a C, he hates playing the 5 lol
He got what he wanted. Kinda
Speaking as a taller than average dude who used to play frequently, I feel the same way as AD. I get it.
a lot of bigs do this tbf, AD at center during his prime was a cheat code but him at the 4 preserves his body and almost always adds a size/strength/length/defense/rebounding edge to his team, maybe now that’s not AS worth it since he’s not as quick with his feet and his shot never developed, but prime AD at the 4 was too overwhelming for the lack of a shot to matter, like with cousins for that short time they were just too big and strong for teams, and the lakers technically had AD as a 4 during their finals run, with javale/dwight as the actual 5
i don’t think it was a shot at him either just cause that doesn’t really fit his personality. ayton knew what he was doing tho lol
Bomani Jones put it best, I thought, during the Bubble finals: he’s tall man, not big man
PF is still a big.
I promise you Ayton simply did not think of it that deeply, he forgot AD was a Laker and honestly probably thinks they haven’t had a big since Shaq (if that). AD didn’t cross his mind, neither did Pau, and certainly not Dwight
lol I honestly just think DA doesn’t play attention to the league as much as we do and he’s giving a practiced response
He sounds like me role playing in the shower
Since when are power forwards not considered bigs though
AD was out there begging for the same thing 😂
He’s a fucking idiot if he’s including AD in this there’s just no way that’s true
He said a big. At the 4 or the 5, AD is a bigman
You don’t need to be charitable to believe this
It’s clearly what Ayton meant considering AD’s preference to play the 4 and complaints about Lakers sucking at the 5 spot
Funny cause Ayton is the kind of big AD was begging the lakers to get for years.
Still counts as a big. He’s still right, they did miss AD a lot due to injuries.
I don’t think he was thinking of AD at all.
AD is a power forward though
No he’s not… power forwards ARE bigs….
AD was forced to play center because they couldn’t get that from the center position without him. He’s far better suited to play PF so the Lakers were definitely still missing it even when he was playing there
He is quite literally right idk why it’s being interpreted as a diss on AD. Laker fans been begging for a center since 2022
AD himself was begging for a big when on the lakers.
and lakers fans were begging him to accept he is a center who is elite at rim finishing and dog shit at shooting 3s
Yeah i cringed every time he took a three, i also honestly believe his 3 Point shooting was an effort problem low key, i think he couldve been better from three if he tried harder. But thats just speculation but for me something has always been a little off about AD and his willingness to be the greatest he could be.
Loved me some AD but so much of his perimeter game looked lazy af
apart from a bubble run a lot of the times when he took a three or a long middie it just felt like he got tired of trying that posession and was like fuck it ill just shoot
idk why but his jumpshots look lazy lmao
AD 3s were orgasmic during the bubble micky mouse championship run
His bubble jumpshooting was sucn an insane outlier too. He shot 38% from 3 when his career high in either playoffs or regular season is like 34. He also shot a career high 55% from long 2s on volume.
That jumpshooting was never seen again nor was it there before this, just a crazy outlier stretch that hit at the right time.
Ad shot it all over Jokics face. But the the nuggets had their revenge the following 5 seasons with jokic shooting it all over ads face 💦😫
Keep going…
Nah, his jumper is/was legitimately just not that good. It never was. Even his %s on long 2s were disappointing. He’s never been the kinda guy to create for himself or others, he’s a roller/cutter who can put the ball on the floor some for a big.
He also definitely regressed significantly as a jump shooter after the post-bubble injuries.
Not even regressed, it was just an outlier.
He shot 38% from 3 when his career high in either playoffs or regular season is like 34. He also shot a career high 55% from long 2s on volume.
That jumpshooting was never seen again nor was it there before this, just a crazy outlier stretch that hit at the right time
Yeah he def peaked in the bubble year, but he had been shooting 33-34% from 3 for the three straight seasons leading up to the bubble and since that year he’s never broken 30 again. His 3pt volume also decreased significantly in the years after the bubble and he still shot it terribly.
Yeah and my point is that i believe at some point he started coasting off his athleticism and didnt put in the work to become an all time great, which he couldve been given his build and athleticism. Ofcourse he works hard im not disputing that but he does not have the Lebron-like drive to get better in every aspect.
OKC fans will never forget his 3pt shot that prevented us from getting to playoffs that one year
Bubble AD played the best he ever had when the Lakers had a center. Hmmm, I wonder why? Maybe because he has energy for offense (which affects his jumper) when he isn’t exhausting it all on defense?
Ignorant reddit commenters
Because he shot 38% from 3 and 45% from midrange lol.
That ties into what they’re saying. If he’s gassed from anchoring the defense it’ll mean less energy to put up clean shots with good technique and power.
He’s a career 30% 3 point shooter. That shooting in the bubble was a hot stretch, not a product of him being a 4.
Not to mention he spent like 60% of his minutes at center during those playoffs
Literally a couple weeks before he got traded he begged for one in an interview with Shams!
Yes, but AD + Ayton probably doesn’t work. AD with a center doesn’t really work since he hasn’t shot above 30% from 3 since the 2020 season and can’t space the floor at the 4 without that shot.
And here we are waiving Koloko smh
It’s a Jaxon Hayes diss.
And we won’t stand for it!
I think we were all standing for it begging for a better starting center in the off-season lol
Well ayton is a much better player than hayes lol
AD himself would be happy with Ayton being with the Lakers for the last 3 years. He was the player that asked for a center the most.
idk why it’s being interpreted as a diss on AD
Slow news day
i see this more as a diss of jaxson hayes than AD
I been begging for it since 2020, jokic was an animal then and now he’s absolutely ridiculous. Now people have to deal with wemby too, every team gonna need a decent centre otherwise it’s over
AD is a center though
Lol probably not meant as a shot at AD. However if I’m AD hearing this right before a matchup against Ayton and the Lakers, I would definitely use that as even more motivation to have a big game tonight
pretty sure he said this during training camp and it’s just circulating now because of the AD matchup
Oh shit is that true?! Damn it, I’ve been bamboozled lmao. Still excited for tonight though
It’s gonna be a fun game tn fs, us fans cannot get more excited lol
I’m so hyped for this game, bro lol
I don’t see how it’s NOT when AD has been one of the best Centers in the NBA for a decade and done exactly this. Anchored the defense and could give you 30.
Ok that’s it. Now AD is gonna drop 35⁄15 on him before getting injured in the 4th quarter
I hate you for being right.
This quote was during training camp.
DA has always played AD well his entire career including the playoffs.
Ayton trying to get Jaxson Hayes killed tonight
You spelled 1st quarter wrong
“Anthony Davis has an inverted cuticle and will take no further part in the game”
!remind me 6 hours
Half of that sentence is correct.
ragebAyton
Deandrage bayton
“Go away, ‘bAyton”
I reapetayton what I readayton on redditayton
MotivAyton Manning
To be fair, he probably talking about our Alex Len and Hayes days
Don’t remind me
This is AD’s fault. While playing for the Lakers, he presented himself as a power forward who “had to” play center, rather than just a center.
That was only for the regular season, AD had no complaints playing center in the playoffs. I think he had a point though— a better run team would’ve utilized AD’s unique defensive versatility better with a rim protecting stretch big. Also, AD was a defensive cheat code in the playoffs against every opponent except the Nuggets, because they have the much heavier Jokic who AD cannot compete with in terms of strength. Even in the 2020 Bubble Laker-Nuggets matchup, Dwight played a key role and even started the last two games as the primary defender on Jokic.
literally every team in the league could use a rim protecting stretch 5 lol
True, but the Lakers were literally on the cusp of trading for Myles Turner and Buddy Hield at one point before the Westbrook trade. And I think blaming LeBron for wanting a playmaker is stupid, Rob ultimately had the final say and it’s his job to make educated decisions.
He did not. He said the same stuff Duncan said about playing center back in the 00s. The difference was that the national press actually cover the Lakers and would use any words he said to write their A-block espn talking head show about a manufactured controversy in LA.
Davis always said he was fine playing center but preferred not doing it full time and as the team’s only starting caliber center. Even in the year the Lakers won the championship, AD played center for 20 minutes a night despite having Javale McGee and Dwight Howard on the team. He never complained until the very end when he publicly asked them to trade for a starting center. But by then it was too late. LeBron can’t play small forward anymore. So AD had to play center if they’re going to be on the court together.
Let’s not confuse press coverage with AD’s actual statements. Even at the end he said he’s fine playing center. Just not full time and with no starting caliber backup.
This is bullshit. AD’s injury issues were far more of a problem than any of this stuff. The issue was never AD’s talent usually it was the talent of the role players or the coach
AD wears down playing center on a full time basis, which contributes to injuries
Look, I don’t how to respond to this because I have reliable way to verify if this true or not. Gut feeling is that it shouldn’t be that much of a difference and if it was really a problem they could have him not playing center until March
My man
I just became a bigger fan of his from just short clip.
Such a good addition for the squad.
Why does he seem like he is an actor playing a skit as a basketball player?
Diss on jaxson hayes
not really he just referred to himself as the one that can “put up numbers” which kinda takes the edge off
hayes can be a good player and not put up big numbers
What’s so funny? He’s been doing exactly this. He’s talking about a 5 that can do this. AD obviously could do this but he never wanted to play the 5 even thought he could.
People don’t really watch FULLGAMES nowadays
AD was saying for years we need a C who does those things lol don’t think he would disagree
But he was still doing those things. He just didn’t want to.
THANK U DA
If this is how he talks in his 20’s, god help his grandchildren one day listening to his ramblings.
Back in my day centers had to play both ways, uphill in the mud and the rain.
You youngsters had it easy. Snow and rain, uphill both ways while having to drag Walton and Lanier up and down the court for 48 minutes!”
“listen here young blood…”
Hell yah
Yo don’t clown DA for this. The Lakers in his 2k franchise traded Davis years ago
OP is a clown
Go get that contract baby !!
I thought adding him would be a nothing burger. But dude is actually fitting in really well with the Lakers.
Yap yap yap
I’m bored
/suns fan
Thank god it doesn’t snow in LA you bum
and he won’t even have to learn how to drive in the snow living in LA
Doubt this is a shot at AD (or he wasn’t intending for it to be)
Even with AD, we wanted another big to do these things so AD can support with help side D. We counted on AD to cover all our defensive weaknesses, crash the glass, and be reliable on offense at the other end.
you all are so fucking weird thinking everything is some attack on another player
We needed this even with AD lol
He could’ve chosen his words more carefully and said “center” lol but I definitely think that’s what he meant, and I don’t think this was meant to be a diss on AD at all. Deandre Ayton is not out here sneak-dissing guys lmao
I mean he’s right, if he was here with ad it would’ve been devastating. Ad is a power forward and not a center and when he had to play center the team was worse off for it
Thought it might not be a shit at AD you prob shouldn’t be saying this the day of AD return to LA.
The way Ayton speaks of himself, so confidently, and the way he plays, unsure of himself and very little feel with the ball, are so at odds that it either makes me dislike him or just laugh at him, basically since day one. It’s like hearing some girl tell you how shes going to blow your mind in bed or whatever and then during the act shes a self-conscious mess on the verge of crying, yet the next day repeats the same thing, unable to learn anything from what should be a humbling experience
He’s been that way at least since college.
Why’s Ayton looking more homeless every time o see him?
This man has some good kush.
That hair dye is seeping through his scalp and frying his brain
Yessir since Dwight 💪🏽
Lakers haven’t had a legit center since Shaq. Pau and AD both 4’s. Top tier but still 4.
Bynum.
Still searching.
AD was begging for this. It’s not a controversial take. Not a shot at AD, He probably could’ve worded it a little better
bro you gotta chill, show some respect to AD
Jeez didn’t even mention his hair
If he never had to talk to the media his life and job would be 10000% better. Almost feel bad he is forced to talk. He should be allowed to just play ball.
By a long time, he means since the Luka trade. Which in Bahamian Years is like … 🌴
I mean he is not wrong
I don’t think it’s a shot at AD at all. If it is it’s hilarious though lol
AD’s still off the injury report for now, He better get some rest cause AD will be intentionality going after him tonight.
Every center looks good next to Doncic. Do not let it get to your head, humble Mr. DominAyton!
Why give AD even more motivation lol
He looks and talks like he’s 43.
He’s 27.
He’s an old school center, which is something the lakers barely had with Javale/Dwight, it’s a big dub
I assume this guy is lacking a normal human brain.
I say the same thing when I look and hear Jokic talking
LMAO. Saying that about the smartest player of all time is actually hilarious.
How come you say that?
DA doesn’t realize he’s not him.
Sorry, not buying it. This guy is locker room cancer.
Ayton traded AD years ago from his Lakers team, and spends 10x more hours on 2K than on the real NBA, so it was just an honest oversight
Even if it is a diss on AD, Ayton is still better simply because he isn’t as injury prone.
Bruh
They will be tough with Ayton back.
I’d also run the starters a little less and give
Vincent, Smart, (Knect/Vando), Maxi, Hayes some tIme to gel as the second unit. If they need to hold the lead, I’d use Vando. If they are in a scoring doubt I might use Knect.
Give the second unit an identity, and let them get some praise as a group.
AD in shambles ! ( well lets face it , hes always in shambles )
Dominayton
What the heck happened to his face
Not meant as a shot to AD. He literally said in the same interview that you gotta guard AD like how you guard Giannis and Jokic. That’s as big as a compliment you can get
Drama farmers are so fucking stupid dawg
AD’s notorious for not wanting to play center and when he bulked up to try he looked like shit and got injured
AD himself has complained about how Lakers need help at the 5
This is a complete non-story
Imo: ive never been a fan of ayton. Only thing ive ever had against him os he dont play with all the energy he should & could. Thsts why I like jaxon hayes but….. after seeing this video I have so much more respect for ayton! This video just sold me on him & im now a fan! Let’s go! LAKERS IN 5!!!
When was this guy supposed to become bad?
Luckily he won’t have to see Giannis if Lakers make it far.
I’d honestly rather have Ayton than AD. AD made $50 million but always killed the flow of the offense by holding the ball for too long and got injured every other game.
He can start anchoring the defense anytime he’s ready.
Tonight’s a good night for an appearance by Prime AD.
Is he actually doing things now?
That’s my #1 pick. Sorry some of y’all favs couldn’t be that
Dude called himself a role player, is this old and I missed it or has Ayton turned the page on how he thinks he can contribute the most?
guess he kinda has to be a power forward now
Is that player in the room with us?
HA!
I dont like that man
Peak banter. It’s funny because the Lakers already had the best version of that hypothetical player. Ayton isn’t even close to that, no offense.
But nothing matters if you can’t stay healthy. It’s not AD’s fault. Just unfortunate luck and his body is basically made of glass. LeBron and Lakers didn’t have him available often.
What a nutter
He’s right AD was and still is 4. Just because you’re tall doesn’t mean you should be a 5.
Damn that red head hair doo has Ayton playing pretty good. Transforming into another superman that played with the Lakers.
I don’t believe a guy whose hair color is brown.
Ayton gonna get run over by AD tonight
He’s been repeating this same line since training camp lol. But he’s been backing the words up for now so not complaining.
Somehow I don’t think 15⁄8 is what that missing centerpiece they’ve been looking for. Sorry, DA. Loved your pre-game vibes with the Suns. Disliked your in-game effort.
Anchor on defense? Bro’s a clown.
“Superstar in ar”? Stop this bullshit it’s getting nasty atp