The Lakers’ legend, Shaquille O’Neal, has been keeping a close eye on his former team and especially their current center, Deandre Ayton. In the team’s recent 127-113 win over the Cavaliers, Ayton airballed a lob from LeBron James when there was almost no defensive pressure on him.
Seeing this left O’Neal exasperated, and he took to social media to post his reaction to the Shaqtin moment. While O’Neal usually makes fun of those moments, this time he seemed to be writhing and toiling in frustration.
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While O’Neal did not say anything, his expressions spoke a lot more. O’Neal has often criticized Ayton for not being as dominant as a big man should be for the Lakers.
Ayton finished this game with 18 points and nine rebounds while shooting 8-13 from the field (61.5 FG%). He is averaging 12.4 points and 8.3 rebounds for the season while going 67.5% from the field. These are not the numbers that would impress a legend like O’Neal.
NBA fans also saw this video and shared their opinions on Ayton. While most of them just laughed, some also seemed to have mutual frustrations, as O’Neal did.
“Shaq, you have every right to be mad.”
“Bron would be No. 1 in assists if this didn’t happen 90% of the time he passes. 😂”
“Thank you, Shaq, for highlighting what I’ve been observing for a long time: Ayton needs to become a man, and then we will have the unstoppable Lakers.”
“He’s mad because he knows he’s destroying that backboard if that were him.”
“I’m so ready for them to get another big man.”
“Clint Capela would’ve yammed that mf,” said a fan while hilariously referencing Ayton’s comments about Capela earlier in the season.
“This is why Jaxson Hayes is better cause he’s 100 percent dunking that.”
The Lakers have won 16 of their last 18 regular season games. Therefore, it’s not like the Lakers have needed Ayton to step up since they seem to have a winning formula figured out with their offense revolving around Luka Doncic, Austin Reaves, and LeBron James.
However, the playoffs are only six games away. And it becomes a matter of matchups in a seven-game series. And while opposing defenders may have a problem on their hands with their big three, Ayton plays a crucial role in countering highly skilled big men in the West like Nikola Jokic, Victor Wembanyama, Chet Holmgren, or Alperen Sengun.
The Lakers are 11-1 in the 12 games where Ayton has scored over 20 points throughout the season. He can become the key difference maker for them on both ends of the floor, depending on who they face.
Clearly, O’Neal is not happy with what Ayton has been displaying on the offensive end of the floor. But it will be interesting to see if the Lakers’ center steps up in the playoffs when the team needs him to be their X-factor.
