"Most Deandre Ayton excuse": NBA fans are chuffing after Blazers center is on injury report due to 'sheets of ice' in neighborhood
The NBA fanbase is left bewildered by the latest injury update concerning the Portland Trail Blazers, which reveals that center DeAndre Ayton is unexpectedly scratched from their home game against the Brooklyn Nets at the Moda Center in Portland, Oregon on January 17th.
The internet is abuzz with speculation as the report discloses that the 25-year-old player found himself trapped in his residence due to icy conditions in his neighborhood.
NBA fans flood the headlines with discussions about Ayton's recent struggle against ice sheets near his residence, sharing their creative banter and commentary.
Legendz on the social media platform X said:
'The most DeAndre Ayton excuse'
Another fan commented:
One fan thought that the post of NBA Central was from the parody account 'NBACentel' of the way the news was presented.
Looking back at Ayton's disputes with the Suns coaching staff and management, another fan was reminded how the 2018 first-overall pick was branded as uninterested in playing basketball.
Staying at home due to the weather conditions, @DGFantasy imagines that Ayton is just playing 2k.
With the recent scratch from playing against the Brooklyn Nets, @Shadowiscold lists Ayton as the second-softest center in the NBA sandwiched by Karl-Anthony Towns and Anthony Davis.
@boredjesse pulled out a discussion of a manager and his staff humbling it to what Ayton is saying to the Trail Blazers management about why he can't go to the game.
Why DeAndre Ayton is marked as 'soft' by NBA fans?
Before joining the NBA, Deandre Ayton was a highly anticipated player known for his impressive 7-foot height. As he had previously played for the Arizona Wildcats in college, the Phoenix Suns logically chose him as the first overall pick in the 2018 NBA draft to team up with Devin Booker, despite having the option to select Luka Doncic or Trae Young.
Fans tend to go back to the 2018 NBA draft class and mock the Suns for picking Ayton over other players who are doing well for their respective franchises. Despite that, the Phoenix Suns made it to the 2021 NBA Finals with the core of Chris Paul, Devin Booker, Mikal Bridges, Cam Johnson and DeAndre Ayton but lost to the Milwaukee Bucks.
When Pat Beverley was still part of the Los Angeles Lakers, the 6-foot-2 player had a confrontation with Ayton, where he forcefully pushed him to the ground and exchanged heated words.
In 2023, ESPN Analyst and former player Kendrick Perkins tweeted about Ayton's performance in the NBA as 'soft'.
Now part of the Portland Trail Blazers after an off-season trade, DeAndre Ayton still carries the stigma that he is a 'soft' player. So far, He has managed to average 13.1 points and 10.8 rebounds in 24 games for his new team.