Deandre Ayton, on paper, was one of the best pickups for the Los Angeles Lakers, a team in search of a competent big man over the summer. Expectations were high, and in the absence of Luka Doncic and LeBron James due to injuries, Charles Barkley thought he would perform better than he has.
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So far, in four games, Ayton has dropped 10, 15, 22, and 16 points on top of 6, 8, 15, and 8 rebounds. It’s not the worst stat line in the world by any means. But Barkley, on Inside the NBA, opined that Ayton should have had better numbers, especially with the Lakers’ two main scoring options out.
In Barkley’s eyes, Ayton should seize his opportunity to shine as the main guy while he can.
“I’m surprised this guy with them guys out, he should be like, ‘I’m gonna get another 15-20 shots a game.’ He should be the second-best option,” began Chuck.
“First of all, he’s going to be a free agent. He landed in the perfect situation with LeBron and Luka. He should be out here like, ‘Austin Reaves got a contract. I’m trying to get a contract.”
The 76ers icon is not wrong. Stamping his authority on this team would be the perfect opportunity for Ayton to get a blank check from the Lakers’ organization, or at the very least, secure a spot on their roster in 2026-27.
“Without them, he should be averaging more than 15 points,” Barkley insisted, after his co-host Kenny Smith tried to cut Ayton some slack by noting his 60% FG percentage, and the Lakers’ 2-2 record without James and Doncic.
Shaquille O’Neal agreed with his longtime on-screen rival. “It should be 20, 10,” barked the Diesel. “25 and 10 without Luka and LeBron,” responded Barkley. “He got to demand the ball and get every rebound. Austin Reaves is averaging 40. This dude should be getting 40 man.”
Again, it’s not a bad thing that Barkley wants Ayton to play better, but he’s also asking the ex-Blazers center to lean into a role he’s never really excelled in. Deandre’s highest scoring game ever was only 35 points. He was never the dominant scoring big man like Hakeem Olajuwon, Shaq, or Nikola Jokic. He put points up when it mattered, but also knew how to spread the game around to his dominant weapons, like his former Suns teammate Devin Booker.
So maybe Barkley’s expectations are a little high, but he’s not completely off base either. This stretch without LeBron and Luka could be Ayton’s chance to show what he can really do when the spotlight’s on him.
The Lakers don’t need him to turn into Shaq suddenly. They need him to keep building on what’s already a solid start and show a little more fire. If he can do that, he might just silence Chuck and earn himself that next big contract in the process.
