The Deandre Ayton experience is a rollercoaster. Everyone who followed the Los Angeles Lakers last season could attest to how true that sentiment is and was. The Washington Wizards talked themselves into getting something different for this season. Thus far? No dice.
It was a fair gamble on the Wizards' part. A new role, expectations, and circumstances invited Ayton to evolve and change. There was genuine enthusiasm about what Ayton could do with the backup center role. New requirements are leading to familiar shortcomings.
4.5 points and 4.8 rebounds per game in 14.1 minutes per game do not adequately tell the story of Ayton's struggles with the Wizards. Rest assured, that much will be covered shortly. Until then, let us set the scene.
Last season, the Lakers thought they could get the most out of Ayton by reducing the requirements being asked of him by comparison to his previous teams. The Wizards took that one step further this year. Where Los Angeles failed, Washington appears poised to have the same end to their story.
Deandre Ayton's struggles have followed him from the Lakers to the Wizards
One huge point of discontent with Ayton in Los Angeles was his defensive impact. Lakers fans could often find themselves dreaming last season of what having a real rim protector would look like. They have that in Walker Kessler now.
While Kessler has been arguably the second-best rim defender in the NBA behind Victor Wembanyama, Ayton has done very little to help the Wizards defense. 0.4 blocks per game is par for the course for a guy who never really developed into a quality interior defender.
That is a big part of what has made Ayton's minutes rough for the Wizards. Washington is -41 with him on the floor this season. The defense has been rough, and the offensive production is not offsetting him bleeding points.
The Wizards are a worse defensive team when Ayton is on the court. Opponents' offensive ratings are 115.6 with him off versus 117.9 when he is playing. Those numbers do not even fully capture how bad the issues have felt.
Again, the Wizards are also a worse offensive team with him on the floor. They post better production when Ayton sits versus when he plays. The saving grace for him being a backup was always the idea of him feasting against second units. The former first overall pick has not delivered on that premise.
Part of this is not even fully on Ayton. The fit with him, Anthony Davis, and Alex Sarr is less than ideal. There is an argument to be made for why the Wizards would just be better positioned by playing Davis at the five, but the damage that has typically been done to his body creates an immediate rebuttal there, too.
Whatever the vision was for the Wizards with bringing in Ayton has just not been fully actualized in terms of the productivity and playability of the former Laker. It is a story his old team remembers playing out for them last season. Things are on pace to repeat themselves yet again.
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