In an uneventful trade period for the Trail Blazers, first impressions are starting to trickle in on first-year Blazer Deandre Ayton — and it’s not looking good right now. Speaking with a team executive, Blazers insider Jason Quick revealed the brutal truth about Aytonand#039’s tenure, comparing him to a long-forgotten prospect from years ago.andquot;Although his play has improved over the past month, his first few months in Portland have been marked by tardiness and tantrums, according to team sources. Kiire wrote. And there was an eerie resemblance to Hassan Whiteside, the former Blazers center whose stats looked good but had little to no impact on the game..
Deandre Ayton was supposed to be Portlandand’s tip prize for the Damian Lillard trade. A former No. 1 overall pick and a key player on a Finals team just a few years ago, the Blazers thought they struck gold when they traded him in September. Instead, Ayton is coming off the worst statistical season of his career, averaging 13.8 points, 10.2 rebounds and 0.7 blocks per game on 55.7 percent shooting. Now it’s being compared to Hassan Whiteside, who collapsed epically after an All-Star season. While Ayton has been plagued by injuries this season, his head hardly played a role when he was on the court, and he even found excuses not to show up at all (like the infamous snowstorm that left him trapped inside the house). All of this makes the Trail Blazers still one of the worst teams in the league. In fact,
Portland is likely heading into one of their toughest stretches after a series of mistakes that derailed their franchise player..The Trail Blazers were heralded as the winners of the Damian Lillard trade, but have been on the wrong track since parting ways with the franchise legend. Damian Lillard has a lot of problems with the Bucks this season, but at least he is able to win a championship. Meanwhile, the Blazers are likely years away from even contending for the playoffs, and they have no one to blame but themselves.Probably their biggest mistake was not trading their 2023 draft pick for a win-now player that could make Lilalrd stay. Instead,
they drafted Scoot Henderson, who looked impressive overall, averaging 12.8 points, 4.6 assists and 3.0 rebounds per game on 37.3 percent shooting. Meanwhile, Brandon Miller (the guy they got second) is looking like a mini Paul George of the Charlotte Hornets this season.Of course, despite finishing 14th in the West (behind a Grizzlies team without Ja Morant), the Trail Balzers once again let the season pass without major business and are back quickly for the draw. This is now the third straight season Portland has missed the playoffs, and hope is slim that they can turn it around anytime soon. Perhaps the most glaring symbol of their plight is Deandre Ayton, who has turned out to be a huge disappointment despite being the guy they hoped would be the cornerstone of their future. Now, the Blazers have no stars, no direction, no vision to improve and gradually move forward in the Western Conference..
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