Longtime ESPN analyst Stephen A. Smith issued some harsh criticism of LA Lakers center Deandre Ayton on Monday. The Lakers are on the verge of being swept in the Western Conference semifinals against the OKC Thunder. The defending champions have a 3-0 lead and could advance to the third round if they win in Game 4.
The Lakers do not have their best player, Luka Doncic, and will need all the help they can get. In their series against the Thunder, LeBron James has tried his best to lead the team. Through the first three games, he has averaged 23.0 points, 4.0 rebounds and 6.7 assists.
Thanks for the submission!
Ahead of Game 4, Smith targeted Ayton. The Lakers could get eliminated, and the sports analyst called out the starting center for his lazy approach.
•
“That damn Deandre Ayton,” Smith said on Monday’s “First Take. “I mean, this dude. I bring up the fact that he’s from the Bahamas and people say, ‘Why you keep bringing that up?’ I said because he plays 50% of the time as if he’s lounging on the beach. That’s how he plays. You see the frustration on the faces of the Lakers.
“It’s embarrassing. It really, really is because he’s not a scrub. He’s got skills, but the effort is so minimal. The absence of urgency is so flagrant, it breeds frustration.”
“He’s he kind of guy that if you’re the Lakers, you almost have to get him out of your locker room, just because of the effect that he will have on the other guys because of this flagrant lack of urgency that he plays with.”
Through the first three games, Ayton has not been a major factor for the Lakers. He’s averaged 7.7 points and 9.3 rebounds, which is a significant drop off from his first-round averages. Against the Houston Rockets, he put up 11.8 points and 10.8 rebounds.
JJ Redick Still Believes in Deandre Ayton
During the Lakers’ practice on Sunday, coach JJ Redick did not speak badly of Deandre Ayton. Amid the mediocre performance from the starting center, Redick still believes that Ayton can be a significant part of the team’s success.
“Look, I’ve been around DA for a season now,” Redick said. “I know how special he is for our group to succeed. And I told him this morning, I said to him in the Houston series at one point he was the big part of the reason we were winning the series. He was a big part of the reason we won the series. I believe in him and he’s going to help us win tomorrow.”
Redick has not lost his trust in Deandre Ayton. However, he needs to play well against the Thunder in Game 4 if they want to keep their season alive.
Edited by Reign Amurao