The Phoenix Suns needed Deandre Ayton to be at his best to try and contain Nikola Jokic.
That was nowhere near the case, as Ayton was often caught sleeping, taking possessions off, failing to box out, and showing a remarkable lack of effort on both ends of the floor.
Moreover, Ayton sustained a rib contusion injury during Game 5 of the series, leading him to miss the pivotal Game 6.
That’s why former NBA coach George Karl didn’t hesitate to call him out on Twitter, calling him “Weak” to echo the sentiment of several fans.
— George Karl (@CoachKarl22) May 11, 2023
Of course, players shouldn’t play through injuries, but having a young man who’s not injury-prone missing a pivotal game with a rib contusion isn’t so common.
It’s hard to blame those who believe Ayton chose not to play and pretty much gave up on his team and the season, especially given the way he played in this series.
Ayton took a huge leap forward in Chris Paul’s first year with the team.
He was the team’s second-leading scorer and made great strides as a defender, even though that was never the strongest part of his game.
But he was either unable or unwilling to keep that same level of effort.
Something happened between him and coach Monty Williams, and he never hid the fact that he wanted to leave the team as a restricted free agent.
The Suns chose to match the offer sheet he got from the Indiana Pacers to run it back for at least another season, but the team might look to reconsider his future with the organization.
NEXT: Shannon Sharpe Reveals Who Should Take Blame For Suns' Game 6 Loss