The Los Angeles Lakers lost their season opener against the Golden State Warriors, as a thrilling matchup ended with a score of 109-119. It was a repeat of the preseason and an indication that this team is far from being perfect.
Charles Barkley never shies away from keeping it real. The former NBA star gave the Lakers and their head coach, JJ Redick, a reality check on the ‘Inside the NBA’ crew’s new ESPN segment.
Barkley spoke on the struggling position the Lakers find themselves in as they keep the band together in LeBron James’ absence. He openly said there’s no reason to rely on waiting for LeBron James’ return, and the only thing that’s worth watching develop is Deandre Ayton’s fit.
“I’m worried about the Lakers, Ernie. First of all, you can’t say ‘When our 41-year-old guy gets here’. He’s gonna be 41 during the season. Let me tell you something, the only thing I’m watching with the Lakers is Deandre Ayton… That’s the only change they’ve made.” Barkley said.
In his debut game for the Lakers, Ayton had 10 points, six rebounds, and one block, shooting 71.4% from the field in the 34 minutes he played. But it was the four turnovers that caused worry.
“LeBron’s just older, Luka’s in better shape, but if Deandre Ayton does not play great, the Lakers aren’t going to be a top team in the West!” Barkley further added.
Former Lakers center Shaquille O’Neal also offered his stance on the matter during the show. He looked coldly into the camera and spoke directly to Ayton.
“Listen, Deandre, dominate. The performance you had yesterday? (shows thumbs down) I need you to step it up, my boy. You gotta do three things: you gotta rebound, you gotta block shots, and you gotta dominate.” O’Neal said.
He spoke, not from the perspective of a media analyst, but as a fan and former superstar for the legendary team. O’Neal explained exactly how Ayton should be taking advantage of the position he finds himself in.
“Pressure’s not on you; you’re playing with two great players that get doubled a lot. When they make that little bounce pass, catch it, and throw it down. You’re not getting doubled, you have a small guy guarding you in the post, you turn around and shoot a fadeaway? That’s not gonna get it done. We need you, brother! That performance you had yesterday was terrible.”
The former Phoenix Suns center was the biggest off-season move for the Purple and Gold, and fills up a center spot that was sticking out like a sore thumb.
Ayton’s attention should be on rim protection, board dominance, and creating a threat down low for the offense. He also needs to provide the physicality on both sides of the ball and be Luka Doncic’s lob partner as he needles his way through defenses.
In the opening game, Ayton showed that he’s got what it takes, but it will take some time to get the rhythm going. Doncic also took the blame on himself for Ayton’s lack of offensive production, and defensively, the 27-year-old center was able to do a decent job.
But he’s still a long, long way from figuring out how he’ll fulfill this role while the expectations from him keep on mounting. O’Neal said Ayton is not the one under pressure for the Lakers, but he is under pressure to prove that he’s worthy of being a former overall No. 1 pick.
This is Ayton’s third team, and likely the best situation to cement his legacy and become part of history with two future Hall of Famers on his side.
