Deandre Ayton’s effort has been called into question in a playoff series his team is getting run off the floor. Sound familiar?
Ayton is no longer with the Phoenix Suns, but the same old narrative about him resurfaced Saturday as his Los Angeles Lakers fell into an 0-3 hole against the Oklahoma City Thunder in a game he finished with one defensive rebound. During one Thunder possession in the fourth quarter, where the Lakers couldn’t secure a board, the ESPN broadcast crew took aim.
“Boy, Ayton can not get a defensive rebound,” Dave Pasch said after the first Thunder miss. “He’s around the ball so much but just doesn’t come down with it.”
This 1 minute clip shows the problem with the Lakers, Deandre Ayton looks like he isn’t even trying in this.
This sequence was driving the ESPN announcers crazy. pic.twitter.com/wwcn2vvECB
— SM Highlights (@SMHighlights1) May 10, 2026
Doris Burke continued the Ayton criticisms after the second Thunder miss:
“This is what drives you mad if you’re JJ Redick. And it’s why we have thought he has called the numbers of different bigs in this matchup. … You better bring a higher degree of intensity and physicality.”
By that point, Redick was already visibly frustrated by what was happening. But Ayton and the Lakers weren’t done giving OKC second chances. The Thunder missed a third shot and secured another offensive rebound on the possession before finally scoring on an and-one layup where you can probably guess you committed the foul… that’s right Deandre Ayton.
This article originally appeared on For The Win: Deandre Ayton effort called out by ESPN broadcast in Lakers Game 3