Deandre Ayton didn't have a logical reason to publicly diss Anthony Davis.
The recently signed Los Angeles Lakers center is playing his role beautifully alongside Luka Doncic and LeBron James. At the same time, Davis has shown glimpses of promise in a Dallas Mavericks uniform despite missing several contests due to injury.
Simply put, both big men are supporting their respective teams to the best of their ability, making Ayton’s unprovoked shot at the former Lakers superstar before their upcoming duel surprising.
“Me, I’m here to give the Lakers what they’ve been missing for a long time: a big that can put up numbers, anchor a defense,and be a presence on both ends of the floor,” Ayton said on Friday afternoon. “Putting up numbers, that’s easy. … Luka and Bron already did their job, now it’s time for me to eat.”
While it may have been unintentional, Ayton disregarded the fact that Davis quite literally fulfilled the needs Ayton outlined before being traded to the Mavericks in February.
Was the 32-year-old injury-prone during his 4.5-year stint with the Lakers? Absolutely, but the highly-skilled two-way center’s productivity in Los Angeles suggests he should be regarded as one of the best frontcourt assets to represent the organization.
In addition to being a game-changing contributor on a championship-winning 2019-20 Lakers squad, Davis was a consistent double-double machine and defensive maestro.
How? Well, because the future Hall of Fame forward prided himself on not only being an effective face-up and back-to-the-basket big man, but also having his teammates back when they failed to keep their opponents out of the paint (his 7-foot-6 wingspan helped him in the shot-blocking department).
Davis never averaged fewer than 21 points, 7.0 rebounds, and 1.5 blocks with the Lakers, giving those unfamiliar with the former lottery pick a sense of how dominant he was in Los Angeles.
Although Ayton, averaging 15.5 points, 8.4 rebounds, and 0.9 blocks with the Lakers this season, has been a viable replacement for Davis, he shouldn’t have disrespected the dynamic frontcourt superstar that came before him.
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